Adam Milne took a hat-trick off the final three balls to clinch a thrilling 11-run victory for Kent Spitfires over Surrey at Canterbury on Friday night.

Milne took 4-38 and defended 18 in the final over, bowling Ollie Pope with the fourth delivery and getting Kyle Jamieson caught on the long-on boundary with the penultimate ball to clinch an exhilarating win. He then had Laurie Evans caught off the last ball of the innings to seal an astonishing recovery.

Milne said: "It’s my first ever hat-trick so it’s special. We’ve always had tight, nail-biting games against Surrey.

"With the bowling I got us off to a horrendous start but Fred (Klaassen) bowled really well and the last 10 overs we managed to claw it back and close it out quite nicely, taking some wickets through the back end and bowling some tight overs.

“After the first 10 overs I felt a little bit like the Somerset game where we were battered all round, but Qais (Ahmad) bowled brilliantly well to keep (Surrey) in check for his four overs, which was remarkable bowling to that small side. He kept us in it.

"It was a bit of a horrendous hat-trick, they were all slot balls! Jameson’s went to the moon and back so it was a good catch from (Jack) Leaning. I was surprised it even came down it was that high, I thought it had snow on it.”

Surrey looked heavy favourites when Will Jacks smashed a Blast-best score of 87 from 54 balls but, after putting on 92 for the second wicket with Laurie Evans, who finished on 57, the run rate steadily increased.

Kent had posted a challenging 191-4, thanks to another hefty partnership between Jordan Cox and Jack Leaning, who hit 61 not out in just 28 balls and 50 respectively.

After winning the toss and choosing to bat, Kent lost skipper Daniel Bell-Drummond to the second ball of the innings, lbw to Jacks without score.

Zak Crawley made 24 before he was bowled by Jordan Clark and Joe Denly top-edged Gus Atkinson to Ollie Pope for 36. The run rate slowed before, not for the first time this season, Leaning and Cox rescued Kent with a stand of 90 for the fourth wicket.

Leaning reached 50 and although he was out next ball, driving Overton to Clark, Clark’s final over went for 19, Alex Blake hitting 12 not out and Cox ending the innings with a six over cow corner.

Surrey made a ferocious start, although Fred Klaassen ripped out Jamie Smith’s middle stump for nine. Evans and Jacks batted through the next 10 overs until Klaassen had the former lbw with the score 135-2 in the 15th over.

Kent were right back in it when Jamie Overton holed out to Milne and was caught by Qais Ahmad for six and Surrey needed 34 from the last two overs.

The penultimate over, bowled by Klaassen went for 16, and Milne's first three balls went for six, but the fourth splayed Pope’s stumps and needing to hit successive sixes, Jamieson perished in the deep as Surrey ended on 180-6.

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