Captain Sam Northeast smashed a T20 career-best 96 off just 47 balls as Kent beat Surrey by 23 runs in the NatWest T20 Blast South Group clash at Beckenham on Friday evening.

It was Kent's third win of their campaign this season and was a perfect way to bounce back from the 115-run loss against Middlesex at Lord's the previous day.

Northeast smashed seven sixes and five fours as his side posted 193-8 off their 20 overs.

He shared a 98-run fourth-wicket partnership with Fabian Cowdrey (42 off 32 balls).

Opener Joe Denly (20) was the only other batsman to reach double figures.

The Surrey run-chase started disastrously with Matt Coles (2-36) trapping Jason Roy (8) lbw with the fourth ball of the first over.

That man Northeast then run out the other opener Steve Davies for a duck - he hadn't faced a ball.

Kumar Sangakkara hit two sixes in a brisk 34 off 19 balls before Darren Stevens (1-34) had him caught at mid on by Calum Haggett.

Cowdrey (2-40) then struck twice in the space of two balls in the 14th over and with the Surrey score on 115.

Gary Wilson (23) was stumped by Sam Billings before Zafar Ansari was caught behind for a duck.

Azhar Mahmood (18) was next to depart with the score on 144 after he was caught in the deep by Alex Blake off Haggett (1-27).

Australian all-rounder Moises Henriques, who was making his Surrey debut, made 63 off 47 balls before Coles had him caught by Cowdrey to leave the visitors 164-7.

Mitch Claydon (1-29) took the last wicket to fall after James Burke (8) top-edged to Billings as Surrey finished on 170-8.

Earlier, the Kent innings started with plenty of intent as opener Daniel Bell-Drummond hit Azhar Mahmood's (1-49) first ball for four.

But Bell-Drummond didn't last much longer, departing for five after being caught down the leg-side by wicket-keeper Wilson off Matt Dunn with the first ball of the second over.

Denly and Northeast brought the Kent 50 up in only the fourth over before Denly was caught in the deep to give Thomas Curran (3-31) his first wicket of the night.

Billings (5) came and went before Cowdrey joined his captain to take the score to 156 before he was caught by Ansari off Henriques (2-24).

Stevens (1), Blake (2) and Coles (0) all fell cheaply before Northeast departed just four short of a deserved 100 after being caught by Roy at mid-wicket off Curran.

Kent play Somerset in Taunton on Sunday.