Kent seamer Mark Davies admitted that the bowlers let the side down as the Spitfires fell to a 62-run defeat at home to the Hampshire Royals.

After being asked to bowl by visiting captain Dimitri Mascarenhas, Kent conceded 185 runs from their 20 overs, and Davies put it down to both a disappointing performance in the field and an excellent innings from ex-Kent batsman Michael Carberry, who carried his bat through the innings, ending on 83 not out from 56 balls.

Davies said: “Unfortunately, the bowlers didn’t really do our job – we bowled poorly in spells. If we’re honest, they probably got 40 too many, we gave them a few and they were always going to be tough to beat. It was always going to be tough [chasing], especially under the lights when the ball skids on a bit better.

“Carbs [Michael Carberry] is a good player – you’ve got to get him out early on. That was part of our team talk and unfortunately we didn’t get him early enough and he went on and played really well.”

With the former Durham seamer making his first T20 appearance of the season, Davies said that he was pleased to be involved again after some time out, but found it tough to get into the rhythm of T20 cricket.

“It’s nice to be back playing to be honest. I’ve missed playing, I like playing T20s. It was a bit of a shame about the result”, he said.

“Bowling at the top [of the innings] in the powerplay when you’ve only got two men out is tough, even if you’ve been playing in all the games. I haven’t really practiced it much to be honest, so I’ve been slung in at the deep end, but I guess you’ve just got to get on with it and that’s the game we play.

“I enjoyed it, it would have been nice to have bowled my four [overs] out at the top because I only went at six [an over] in my first three and came back which was tough, but you’ve got to get on with it.”

Davies did help to end the match on a lighter note, as after being run out without scoring while batting at number 10, he shook the oppositions’ hands thinking the match was over, with last-man-in Adam Riley still making his way to the middle!

He said: “It brought a laugh – I’m not used to batting as high as 10! When I’m out, normally that’s it – I’m shaking hands!

“Of course, the boys have given me a bit of a ribbing about it already – it’s good banter.”

The match was the start of a busy week for Kent, with their final T20 fixture away at Hove against the Sussex Sharks on Wednesday and a LV= Championship game at Worcester starting on Friday.

Davies said: “It would be nice to play again [on Wednesday] and then we’ll find out what the squad is for the Championship game and we’ll see where we go from there.”