Sean Abbott smashed Kent’s bowling to equal the fastest hundred in Vitality Blast history and set up Surrey’s second win in as many days.

The Australian all-rounder unleashed a barrage of six-hitting at the Kia Oval, recording 11 maximums and seven fours and taking 30 off a single Kane Richardson over as he reached three figures from just 34 balls.

Abbott had previously hit just one half-century in limited-overs cricket, but his breath-taking knock – matching the late Andrew Symonds’ ton for Kent against Middlesex 19 years ago – transformed Surrey’s fortunes after they had slid to 64 for four.

An unbroken sixth-wicket partnership of 129 from 46 with Jordan Clark enabled Surrey to post a daunting 223 for five and that proved too much for the Spitfires, who subsided to 182 for seven in reply, despite a valiant opening partnership of 108 from 59 between Daniel Bell-Drummond and Tawanda Muyeye.

Having won the toss and opted to bowl, Kent picked up two wickets inside the first four overs, with Will Jacks – having just slammed George Linde for the first six of the game over long-off – miscuing to backward point.

Richardson, who had taken two wickets in successive balls to end the Spitfires’ game against Gloucestershire, missed out on a hat-trick but did strike with his next delivery, clipped into the hands of deep square leg by Laurie Evans.

It looked as though the Curran brothers might take control of the innings, sharing a stand of 30 from 25, but both departed in quick succession – Tom superbly run out by Jordan Cox’s sharp pick-up and throw – and Grant Stewart having Sam caught at mid-off.

Instead, it was Abbott, shunted up the order to six, who inspired as he clattered Linde over long-on for three maximums, racing to his half-century from 23 balls before launching a masterclass in hitting against Richardson in the 17th over.

The 31-year-old almost missed out on his century, with Linde dropping him on 87 when he sliced Joey Evison to short third, but he took advantage of that let-off to get there with two more back-to-back sixes off Michael Hogan.

Despite shipping 90 from the last five overs of the innings, Kent made a spirited start with the bat as Bell-Drummond and Muyeye repeatedly peppered the boundary to reach 75 in the powerplay.

Bell-Drummond raced to his half-century from 24 balls and Muyeye – dropped by Jamie Smith after swiping a hook off Gus Atkinson – reached the landmark for the first time in the Blast, just four deliveries behind his partner.

Sunil Narine eventually made the breakthrough, having Bell-Drummond caught in the deep for 52 and, with the required rate climbing above 12 an over, the Spitfires began to crumble, losing a further four wickets in eight balls.

Muyeye was among those, caught on the boundary for 59 from 37 as Surrey shared out the wickets, with Narine, Jacks and Tom Lawes claiming two apiece and Sam Curran the other.