All-rounder Matt Coles scored a sensational hundred but it wasn't enough to prevent Kent from losing the Royal London One-Day Cup quarter-final against Surrey by 17 runs on the Duckworth–Lewis method at the Kia Oval on Thursday.

Coles, batting at No.9, smashed nine sixes and seven fours in his stunning 73-ball knock as his career-best one-day innings took Kent to the brink of what would have been a remarkable win.

Surrey were all-out for 273, which included 112 from opener Jason Roy, before Kent, chasing a revised target of 251 off 40 overs after a rain delay looked down and out at 101-7.

But Coles and Darren Stevens had other ideas, sharing an eighth-wicket stand of 39 before Stevens departed for 37.

Mitch Claydon added 29 with Coles before being bowled for four before last-man Matt Hunn, who finished unbeaten on one, helped add 64.

Coles was finally out for 100 after top-edging Tom Curran and was caught by wicket-keeper Ben Foakes.

Kent's run-chase had started disastrously before the rain arrived, losing Daniel Bell-Drummond for one with just two runs on the board.

The young opener made the long walk back after being caught by Kumar Sangakkara off Sam Curran (2-34) on just the eighth ball of the innings.

Curran struck again when the score was 22, having Bell-Drummond's opening partner Joe Denly held by Rory Burns at mid-wicket for 13 before the rain arrived.

After play resumed after a break of more than an hour, Fabian Cowdrey was next to go, bowled by Tom Curran (3-22) for seven with the score on 36.

Curran repeated the act 13 runs later after he re-arranged Sam Northeast's stumps when the captain had made 23.

Sam Billings came and went for three after being stumped by Foakes off the second ball from spinner Zafar Ansari (2-39).

Billings' dismissal left Kent 49-5 and looking down and out.

Alex Blake, who has been Kent's batting saviour in plenty of limited overs games this season, was next to go after a quickfire 17 off 20 balls.

Blake hit Ansari for six before the slow left-armer got his revenge the very next ball when Blake hit him straight to Roy at mid-off to leave Kent 79-6.

Stevens and James Tredwell then added 28 together before former England off-spinner Gareth Batty (1-61) had Tredwell caught behind for three.

Stevens continued to take the fight to Surrey, reaching 37 off 35 balls before James Burke (1-23) had him caught by Foakes with the score on 140.

He hit one six and four fours.

Coles remained defiant seeing Mitch Claydon depart for four after being bowled by Jade Dernbach after the pair added 29.

Last man Matt Hunn joined the magnificent Coles at the crease and ensured Kent wouldn't go down without a fight.

Earlier, opener Roy's 112 dominated Surrey's innings.

The England limited overs representative hit 13 fours and one six in his 116-ball stay before Tredwell (3-47) had him caught in the deep by Blake.

Roy's departure signalled a start of a stunning fight-back by the Kent bowlers as Surrey collapsed from 192-3 to 273 all-out.

Burns (42) and Ansari (35) were the only batsmen to offer any resistance as Claydon (3-62) and Coles (3-47) combined to wrap up the innings.

Stevens (1-32) had earlier got rid of opener Steven Davies, caught behind by Billings, after he had hit four boundaries in his 17.