Kent Spitfires captain Sam Northeast claimed his side were 'heartbroken' after final ball agony against Lancashire cost them a place at NatWest T20 Blast Finals Day.

Despite a below-par 142 all-out with the bat, the hosts managed to haul their way back into the game with some fine bowling and fielding, leaving the hosts needing six off the final over to surpass their score.

However Matt Coles claimed two wickets and in the end James Faulkner faced the final ball with all results possible and the game poised on 140-6 from 19.5 overs.

Faulkner's drive cannoned off the stumps at the other end, giving him time to run two with Arron Lilley and send his side through by virtue of having lost fewer wickets.

Northeast admitted: "Nothing fell our way. We had a run-out shout and a couple of LBW shouts... sometimes they go your way, sometimes they don't, but we probably didn't get enough runs and that's what's cost us.

"There have been some great memories through the whole campaign but you are judged on one game to make it through to the Finals. As close as it is, it's heartbreaking really when you get so near."

Northeast admitted he had not known the rules which meant Lightning needed two to win from the final ball, rather than three, until a final over discussion with umpire Nick Cook.

He said: "I actually didn't know - I've never been in that position before. The last ball I obviously knew, I went up to the umpire and he said they only needed two to win.

"I'd been planning in my head for however long that they needed however many - to get it reduced (from three) to two was a bit of a bitter pill to swallow but it happens."

Kent return to white-ball action on Monday when they visit Nottinghamshire in a must-win Royal London One-Day Cup game, and Northeast added: "There is no doubt we have a squad capable of going on and winning things in one-day cricket. We don't want to feel like this again, that's for sure. We need to use this as motivation."

Fabian Cowdrey, who hit 27 for the hosts and took a crucial catch in the final over admitted the squad were 'devastated' by Saturday's loss, infront of a packed house of 7,000 fans.

He said: "It’s sad that we didn’t get to Finals Day and we’re all devastated right now, but we’ll come back stronger next year as a unit.

“We were all in the same boat during that last ball and wish now we could have had a ‘super over’ which is what happens in the event of a tie in other competitions everywhere else around the world, but that wasn’t to be."

He added: “It was a fantastic effort by the lads, you cannot fault anyone in the group because they have all done their best. We had the belief to win this competition but we simply didn’t get enough runs today.

“It was so loud out there that you couldn’t even hear your own thoughts. It was so noisy out there. It was such a shame we didn’t come out on top.

“The bare facts are we didn’t get enough runs. When you’re the side putting runs on the board you can’t be 90 for seven, that can’t happen. We got ourselves back into it and nearly did it, almost pulled it off, so credit to the entire side for that.”