Kent head coach Jimmy Adams believes the team’s win over Surrey has given them a lifeline in this year’s t20 tournament.

Speaking to KSN at the close of play, West Indian Adams said of Thursday night’s victory: “It certainly gives us something to play for. We came in tonight thinking, mathematically, there’s a lot that was against us. It has given us a lifeline – small as it may be – but it is a lifeline and they’ve earned that, so hopefully we can push on with a good finish to this tournament.”

Adams also praised the players’ attitudes, having come back from three defeats in their three previous games.

“We showed a lot of character with the defeats that we’ve had in the last seven days coming into this game. All credit to them – they gave it their best shot and it’s good to see these qualities coming through on a night like tonight” he said.

The decision to make three changes to the starting line-up was also vindicated. Matt Coles and Brendan Nash both missed out, but their replacements – Alex Blake and Adam Riley – both played a starring role in the 48-run victory.

“A lot of it was circumstance – Matt [Coles]has played every game that we’ve played in since the start of this season, and we figured that we’re looking for little windows to give players who we think are going to have a role in the Championship going into the second half of the season. With his performances in the first half, he was a priority for us. Brendan’s child has just been born yesterday – his second child – so he’s on what you could call paternity leave. The replacements came in and did well.

“Credit to the work that is being done below our team – [Adam] Riley has been playing a lot of university cricket, ‘Blakey’ has been doing a lot of work in second team cricket, and credit to all the people who are involved at that level – making sure that if we do need replacements, they are capable of the types of performances we saw tonight.”

“All of the players have been carrying a very, very good attitude, and really and truly there’s not much more that you can ask apart from that. We collectively believe that the best way forward is to take what talent we have, marry it with a good attitude, and then hopefully we’ll be able to play some positive cricket.”

Kent Friend’s Life t20 campaign continues this evening at the St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury, where the Spitfires take on the Essex Eagles; the game set to start at 7pm.

Kent have named an unchanged squad for the match: Billings, Northeast, Key, Stevens, Mahmood, Blake, Jones, Cook, Ball, Davies, Riley, Harmison.