Matt Walker says Kent will need to be at their very best to reach the Vitality Blast finals day.

Spitfires secured a home quarter-final and will play Lancashire on Thursday at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence.

The match will evoke memories of the previous quarter-final played between the two sides in 2015 at the same ground.

Lancashire won with fewer wickets lost after scores were tied after 20 overs.

Head coach Walker said: “I remember it well. It was a great game that we came out on the wrong side of unfortunately. They are a great side and all these sides you end up playing in quarter-finals are going to be tough to beat.

“It’s on our home patch, which is brilliant for the club and for the fans to see a quarter-final and hopefully we can flip the result this year.

“They will be dangerous and have some seriously dangerous cricketers. We will have to be at our best to beat them.”

Kent secured a home quarter-final in the Vitality Blast after winning their final two games of the competition at home to Somerset and at Essex.

In the group stages, Spitfires were beaten just twice as they finished second in the South Group table.

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Walker said: “Whatever we end up doing I’m pretty confident whether it’s defending a total or chasing a total.

“We are becoming that complete team now that we don’t just have to back ourselves one way to do things.

“That fills our team with great belief and whatever happens moving forward we know both sets of skills are in good shape.”

Kent did not risk Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis for the final two group stage matches.

Walker hopes that Stoinis will be fit for the quarter-final with Lancashire on Thursday.

He added: “He was very keen to play both of those games. There was no point risking him against Essex even though we were pushing for a home quarter-final.

“We were through and that was good. It gives him a bit longer to get it right and by that quarter-final that hamstring will be looking a lot better. Hopefully we will have a full fit Marcus Stoinis come the quarter-final.”

Lancashire will also have Jos Buttler and Keaton Jennings to bring into their squad after they were released by England to play in the match.

Walker responded: “They are just two players and we shouldn’t focus too much on them.”