Kent Spitfires captain Sam Northeast insists the side need to put the nine wicket loss to Gloucestershire in the Natwest T20 Blast behind them and move on.

In what turned out to be a largely one sided game at Beckenham, the Spitfires tasted defeat for only the second time in the competition this season, having won four of their opening six games.

Northeast was to win the toss and elected to bat first on a pitch that had some pace early on, but got slower and slower and the Spitfires posted 156/6 in their 20 overs, probably about 20 runs light of where they should have been.

It turned out not to be enough as Gloucestershire cruised to their victory target of 157 with 16 balls to spare for the loss of just one wicket and after the game the Kent skipper was left to reflect on a game that slipped away from them:

“We never really got going. I don’t think anyone really went out and expressed themselves with the bat, which was disappointing when considering what we have done in this competition to date.”

“It felt like, having won four already, that we just expected to turn up and win, but this game doesn’t work like that.”

“Our guys will have to go back individually and have a look at themselves and what they put in tonight. We’re still very much in the competition so we’ll dust ourselves off, re-group, and go at the next game a lot harder than we did here tonight.”

The Spitfires remain top of the South Group despite the loss and turn their attention back to the County Championship on Sunday with Derbyshire coming to Canterbury before welcoming Hampshire to the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence on Friday night for their latest Natwest T20 Blast game.