A nail-biting match saw the Kent Spitfires book their place in the Royal London One-Day Cup quarter-final in dramatic circumstances on Tuesday as they beat Lancashire.

Lancashire had set 296 for a home victory at The Spitfire Ground and, with other results going Kent’s way, it was left to Harry Podmore to crash the winning runs off the penultimate ball.

Kent had made one hugely significant change to their side. Veteran all-rounder Darren Stevens replaced Indian overseas bowler Navdeep Saini in what could potentially have been his final match at The Spitfire Ground.

The scenario was relatively simple for Kent if they were to finish third in their group and progress. They had to beat Lancashire and hope Hampshire defeated Yorkshire in Scarborough.

Opening bowlers Grant Stewart, fresh from his match-winning six on Friday against Yorkshire, and Nathan Gilchrist (3-52) made an impressive start after The Spitfires won the toss and elected to field first.

Stewart had Luke Wells caught behind by wicketkeeper Ollie Robinson for a duck before Lancashire captain Keaton Jennings (17) was bowled by Gilchrist to leave the visitors 28-2.

Steven Croft was the next man in, however he was out for a duck, LBW to Gilchrist.

Lancashire then took their score from 36-3 to 84-3 before a moment of brilliance from Hamid Qadri broke that partnership. Dane Vilas clipped Podmore (3-53) off his legs - only to find Qadri at deep square leg and, diving forward, he took a sublime catch to dismiss the South African for 22.

Having done some smart work in the field, spinner Qadri took a wicket himself to leave Lancashire 95-5. Rob Jones skipped down the track and quick work from wicketkeeper Robinson saw Jones stumped for nine.

But one man Kent struggled to remove was Josh Bohannon who brought up his half-century with a single into the leg-side in the 28th over.

Partnered by George Balderson, who brought up his own half-century inside 48 balls in the 37th over, the pair started to frustrate the hosts.

But soon after the 100-run partnership had been reached, Kent made a much-needed breakthrough when Bohannon skied Qadri to Gilchrist and was out for 75. Qadri eventually ended with 2-57 from his nine overs.

The momentum still appeared to be with Lancashire, though, and George Lavelle blasted 24 off 13 balls before he holed out to Alex Blake off Podmore to leave his side 226-7.

Balderson could see a century in sight as he sent Stewart for six to move on to 89 with five overs to go. But he was also running out of partners - the dismissal of Danny Lamb off the bowling of Podmore leaving Lancashire eight down with 29 balls still left of their innings.

By this time, however, Balderson was hitting the ball to all parts. He moved to his century off 83 balls.

Gilchrist picked up another wicket in the last over as Lancashire reached 295-9 - their highest score against Kent in this format. Balderston ended unbeaten on 106.

Both Joe Denly and Stevens bowled, albeit neither were able to get among the wickets.

Matters elsewhere were going in Kent’s favour but their reply got off to a terrible start in the third over when two wickets fell.

In-form Ben Compton was caught at slip at the second attempt by Lamb off Jack Blatherwick’s bowling before Robinson was out for a duck just two balls later to leave The Spitfires 6-2.

Despite light rain starting to come down, opener Joey Evison and captain Denly set about rebuilding Kent's innings. But the latter was given out LBW off the bowling of Bailey for 13 in the ninth over.

Just like Denly and Evison had done, the latter - now partnered by Blake - looked to be building a partnership before Evison chipped one straight back to bowler Bailey for 20.

That brought Stevens to the middle to a huge cheer and he got off the mark off his first ball, clipping a single through the leg-side.

There was plenty of big-hitting at the crease still for Kent and Blake blasted 10 off two balls in a bid to try and put the pressure back on the visiting bowlers.

Stevens got in on the act with his first maximum at the end of the 19th over and, the very next ball, Blake also sent over the ropes to get Kent up to 100.

By this stage, the pressure was firmly back on Lancashire, although there was a heart-in-mouth moment when a Stevens cut fell just short of Croft at backward point with the 46-year-old on 23.

At the other end, Blake moved to 50 in stylish fashion with a hook for four off Blatherwick, his half-century coming up in 44 balls.

Stevens was starting to really motor and back-to-back sixes on the leg-side brought him on to 47 off 35 balls and The Spitfires to 151-4 at the halfway point in their innings.

The all-rounder looked set to bring up his half-century but he was out caught and bowled for 49 off spinner Croft to leave Kent 158-5. He left the field to a standing ovation, kissing the Kent badge on his helmet as he exited the playing area after the 105-run stand.

Stevens may have left but Blake was still going strong, and he added 15 off the 30th over.

But Kent’s hopes were dealt a hammer blow in the 33rd over when Blake was caught by away captain Jennings off the bowling of Wells for 81, leaving his side 106 short of their target.

The boundaries had dried up to a large extent amid a tense finish but good running between Harry Finch and Stewart left The Spitfires requiring 58 for victory from the last eight overs.

In the next over, the pair brought up their 50-run partnership before successive sixes by Italian international Stewart left Kent with 44 to win while Hampshire had sealed their victory over Yorkshire.

There was another twist yet, however, when Stewart was caught on the boundary by Croft off Blatherwick’s bowling with more than 30 runs still needed.

Podmore was the next man in and, as he hooked his first boundary, The Spitfires were left needing 15 runs off three overs.

Blatherwick’s final over then went for seven to leave Kent just eight runs away from what had looked an unlikely victory at times, the bowler able to end with figures of 3-57.

Bailey (2-38) saw his last over go for five, which left The Spitfires needing three off the final six balls.

Off the first ball, Finch looked to go over the top to win the game, only to be caught by Vilas off Wells for 45.

The tension was almost unbearable as Qadri’s first two balls were dots before he was dropped by Wells, with the pair scrambling a single to get Podmore on strike with two balls remaining.

And Podmore did the rest, crashing through the covers and to the boundary. He ended unbeaten on 18 off 12 balls while Qadri was one not out.

Blake said: "Obviously, we are delighted.

"It was a bit tense there at the end. It went down to the last over, I was hoping we were going to do it with one over to spare. But credit to the boys.

"Obviously I got out at a pretty vital stage and then Grant and Finchy batted superbly to keep ticking it off. Then obviously, we lost a wicket in that last over and Podders [Podmore] did it again - like he did at Worcestershire four years.

"There were good celebrations up in the balcony again and we look forward to Friday."

Stevens said: "We are really pleased, yeah.

"There were a couple of sticky moments, the boys were biting their nails upstairs, but we are happy that Podders hit a nice little cover drive to get us over the line."

Kent will play Leicestershire, Stevens’ former club, this Friday in their quarter-final after Kent finished third behind group winners Hampshire and second-placed Lancashire who also progress.