Despite a hat-trick from Matt Coles and half-centuries for Sam Northeast and Jimmy Neesham, Kent Spitfires suffered a 16-run defeat to Middlesex at Richmond on Thursday evening.

It was a third defeat in their five NatWest T20 Blast South Group games so far and left Kent needing to win at Sussex on Sunday to get their campaign back on track.

After winning the toss and electing to field, Kent recovered well with the ball after a blistering start from the hosts and were left to chase 180 at Old Deer Park, though the loss of crucial wickets at vital times eventually proved their downfall.

Coles claimed just Kent's third ever T20 hat-trick in the final over when he tempted James Franklin and John Simpson to hole-out to Alex Blake at long-on before demolishing Tim Southee's leg-stump with the final ball to restrict the hosts to 179-8.

Coles' feat follows Ryan McLaren, in the 2007 Final, and Wahab Riaz in 2011, both in wins against Gloucestershire, as he finished with 4-32 from his four overs.

Earlier Kent had spurned the chance to oust dangerman Brendan McCullum early-on when the Kiwi fired straight at Sam Northeast at short-cover, only for the Kent skipper to put down the chance.

McCullum went on to hit six sixes and nine fours in a knock of 88 from just 51 balls and put on 92 for the opening wicket in just 64 balls with Dawid Malan, who became Coles' first scalp when he nicked him to Sam Billings for 33.

James Tredwell stemmed the flow of runs and finished with a superb 1-22 from four overs after getting Paul Stirling (14) caught by Jimmy Neesham, who posted figures of 0-34 from three overs with the ball.

McCullum eventually mistimed a swipe at a Calum Haggett delivery which hit the stumps on the full, and the all-rounder - in for Imran Qayyum - also cleaned up Ryan Higgins to end with a fine 2-27.

Eoin Morgan made a breezy 28 but fell to Mitch Claydon (1-51) with Blake taking the catch as the hosts slipped from 156-2 to 179-8 in the space of 17 deliveries.

The visitors made a nightmare start to the reply with in-form Daniel Bell-Drummond trapped leg-before by Southee in the opening over and Joe Denly, who had already been dropped by McCullum, following to the first ball of the second over from Steven Finn to leave Kent 2-2.

Northeast steadied the ship but Billings (9) departed with the score on 36 to end the fifth over.

Neesham joined Northeast for a vital partnership of 75 from the following nine overs which kept Kent's chances alive, however Northeast skied one back to Higgins to depart caught and bowled for 59, featuring seven fours and a six.

Kent needed 69 from the final six overs but Darren Stevens fell to a first-ball duck, caught by Southee off Finn (2-26).

Despite Neesham rattling-on, the game was all but up when Blake departed after a lively cameo of 27 from 14 balls including five fours which got his side within 29 of victory with two overs to come.

Coles was run-out for 2 and Higgins (2-22) eventually got Neesham, who hit 52 from 37 balls, two of them hit for six with a further three fours, but the visitors were restricted to 163-8 at the close.

They return to action at Sussex on Sunday seeking to make it three wins from six games in South Group.