Joe Denly said Kent were not at their best in their defeat to Gloucestershire on Sunday.

Spitfires were beaten by eight wickets in the Vitality Blast match at The Spitfire Ground after scoring a below-par 160 batting first.

Denly hit 99 not out in Kent’s innings but no other Kent batter managed to get going.

He said: “It’s a tough one. I thought it was a tough wicket to bat on actually. I was not at my fluent best but to get to 160 I thought we were still in the game.

“Even in the first over, Payne normally comes in and swings the ball. I think every ball of that first over was a cutter and it held up in the surface. From that first over you knew it was going to be tough going.”

Miles Hammond hit 51 in 31 balls for Gloucestershire to help them to the victory with four balls to spare.

Kent struggled to take wickets and the away side were never under a great deal of pressure.

Denly said: “The way we’ve been bowling this competition and have defended scores I thought we were in with a shout. We weren’t quite at our best, including myself, especially in that first over.

“We didn’t set the correct tone and weren’t able to pick up wickets regularly and build any pressure, which was disappointing.

“It showed just how tough it was right at the end there. Had we taken more wickets and built up pressure in those middle overs maybe it would have been a different story.

“What brings wickets in T20 is building pressure. We leaked a few runs in the powerplay and didn’t take any wickets. That probably cost us in the end.

“We have been brilliant this whole competition and have won games out of nowhere when we didn’t deserve to.

“We have a little break now and go again Friday.”

Kent Spitfires go on to face Sussex at Hove on Friday with four matches left in the Vitality Blast group stages.

There are just four points separating the top six sides in the south group.