Alex Blake dragged Kent Spitfires to an incredible two wicket Vitality Blast victory over Hampshire to replicate his 2015 heroics.

Big hitting Blake powered 57 off 38 balls to maintain the Spitfires’ 100 percent record in the competition, having come to the crease with his side in dire straits.

Four years ago, Blake left the Ageas Bowl open mouthed as he crashed 71 in 30 balls, having arrived at the crease at 70 for five chasing 178.

On this occasion, the 30-year-old walked out at 41 for four, still requiring 105, and took Kent over the line by striking back-to-back sixes from the final Chris Wood over to secure two points from a tight encounter with a ball to spare.

After Hampshire had scored a par 145 from their overs, Kent lost stand-in captain Daniel Bell-Drummond to the fifth ball of the reply when he chopped Chris Wood behind.

Ollie Robinson clubbed World Cup winner Liam Dawson over the midwicket boundary but only picked out Aneurin Donald when attempting an action replay.

The Spitfires were then stunned to 32 for three when overseas star Mohammad Nabi mistimed a pull off Kyle Abbott to Vince at mid-off.

Abbott, who only played three times in last season’s Blast, picked up a quick-fire second when Zak Crawley leading edged to mid-on.

The slide continued when Sean Dickson was stumped off Mason Crane, although Blake powered the leg-spinner to two straight sixes to keep the run-rate manageable.

At the other end, Dawson pinned Jordan Cox lbw, Abbott bowled Adam Milne, Chris Morris caught and bowled Hardus Vijoen but Blake was still there.

And with 16 needed from the last over Hampshire were still favourites.

But two twos and a pair of ginormous straight sixes sent Blake running around in delight.

Earlier, Hampshire elected to bat first in front of the Ageas Bowl’s highest domestic crowd for two years, with around 10,000 packing the ground including thousands of youngsters on All Stars Day.

They weren’t treated to an electric start from Rilee Rossouw and Aneurin Donald as the former was dropped at midwicket.

Donald did smash Hampshire’s first maximum of the competition, over fine leg, but departed next ball when he skied straight up in the air, before Rossouw nicked off.

England World Cup hero James Vince proved his hangover had abated a week after that thrilling final at Lord’s when he drove and then cut his first two deliveries the boundary.

The Hampshire skipper then dispatched two sixes off an Imran Qayyum over as he reached 29th T20 fifty in 33-balls.

But two balls later he handed Nabi a caught and bowled which the hosts failed to recover from.

Fred Klaassen, who dismissed James Fuller and Sam Northeast in consecutive balls, and Viljoen ended with figures of two for 27 and two for 20 respectively as Kent strangled Hampshire – with only 42 runs coming in the last six and a half overs.

Hampshire captain James Vince said:

“We were probably 10 to 15 runs light but it wasn’t as good a batting pitch as we some of the ones we get here.

“We knew we had to come out and bowl tightly for the majority of that innings. We did everything right and got on top but Blake has come in and scored a pretty special knock at the end there.

“Blake top edged a few, edged a few and missed a few but things seemed to go his way and credit to his at the end.

“I was ‘umming’ and ‘ahhing’ between which end to bowl Abbott and Woody but Abbott bowled better from the top end.

“I don’t think Woody did too much wrong, Blake has just as much right to put them away. He has done it in the past here at the back end.

“We haven’t won but we have done a lot right there.

“I haven’t batted a huge amount. I found it tricky for a while and then built a partnership with Sam and thought I need to take more risks.

“There are still 12 games to go and hopefully we start to build momentum starting on Wednesday.”

Kent batsman Alex Blake:

“I obviously have good memories here like that game in 2015 and like playing here.

“David Griffiths who was a Kent and Hampshire player sent me a phone of after the 2015 game when we were in the changing room with champagne earlier and said ‘same again today’ which jogged my memory.

“I was struggling against the spin but we were saying out there that if we could set it up towards the end then you never know if you could sneak over the line.

“16 was probably a few more than I would have liked, I would have preferred 12 off the last over.

“I still knew that when it was 12 off three that two sixes would win it. I tend to think in sixes.

“The first couple went for twos and then I missed one. I got the low full toss over and then the last one crept over Morris’ head in the wind.

“Fielding first was a plus as it meant we could have a look at the wicket but losing the early wickets didn’t help us.

“You are never out of the game and I have the confident that I can clear the ropes.

“We haven’t clicked yet with the bat in the opening two games so we still have a lot of improvement despite being two from two.”

 

THE TURNING POINT: Alex Blake pumping Mason Crane was sixes in back-to-back overs kept Kent interested, although the game only really tipped the Spitfires way with the winning six.

SHOT OF THE MATCH: Chris Wood is a canny white ball bowler but Alex Blake made a mockery of his prestige with two sixes to win the match. The copy-and-paste efforts never appeared in doubt of dropping shot.

THE UNSUNG HERO: James Vince shook off his post-World Cup hangover to smash 51, while England’s other hero Liam Dawson snaffled a pair of wickets.

WHAT’S NEXT: Hampshire will aim to kick-start their Blast in the second part of El Clasicoast at Hove on Wednesday evening. Kent will be gagging for Friday to arrive after two wins from two; they face Essex at Canterbury.