KENT's new, mean black strip worked the oracle on its first airing and inspired Mohammad Sami to a match-winning six-wicket haul as Kent edged a sensational one-run win over Gloucestershire in Canterbury on Sunday.

Buoyed by the amazing championship win over Worcestershire and Sami's 11th hour arrival from Pakistan, Spitfires hoped for a storming start to their new totesport League campaign - and did they get one!

A low scoring and fairly mediocre team performance was lifted into the realms of a fairy tale return as Sami grabbed six for 20 from 51 rapid deliveries.

Chasing a below-par 45-over target of 176, Gladiators suffered an 11-ball glitch in mid-innings glitch when Sami came on for his first bowl in Kent colours since taking 15 in the match at The Mote last June.

The Karachi Express had flown in from his home city overnight, landed a Heathrow at 7am and was keen to play despite having just two hours sleep.

There was no sign of jet-lag as Sami raced down the Nackington Road sloped to return three for four in 11 balls in his opening burst.

He did Phil Weston (23) and Alex Gidman (2) for pace to send both back leg before, then had Matt Windows (2) caught behind after an edged drive.

While he took a break, obdurate left-arm spinner Rob Ferley, bowled mid-innings in tandem with off-spinner James Tredwell in a bid to mirror the success of Glamorgan spin twins Croft and Cosker.

The two enjoyed success and helped stem the run rate as Ferley snared Taylor (5) leg before with an arm ball, but Kent?s fielding was found wanting as the pressure increased.

Craig Spearman was given a life on 44 when David Fulton downed a low chance against Tredwell then, with his score on two, Mark Alleyne saw Geraint Jones grass a tough chance off Ferley.

The fifth wicket pair added 47 in 15 overs before Kent struck again when Sami uprooted Spearman?s off stump with a yorker to send the New Zealander packing for 63.

Just 48 were needed going into the final 10 overs of the game, but Kent refused to lie down.

As Fulton continued to perm his bowlers Ferley returned to snaffle Jack Russell (6) leg before as he attempted to sweep then Rob Key threw down the non-striker's stumps to run out Alleyne for 28.

Matthew Walker did likewise to run out the dawdling James Averis to set up centre stage for Sami's final stint and the last over of the game.

With two runs to win Sami found the outside edge of Jon Lewis's bat to give Jones a catch then, two balls later, he plucked out Mike Smith's off stump to send St Lawrence into raptures.

Earlier, Kent's innings, after being inserted, got off to a faltering start and never really gained any momentum.

Ed Smith's woes continued as he battled away for 33-balls for just two runs. The shots he did manage to time well picked out fielders, but otherwise the England bat looked out of sorts and his demise, to a slip catch, came as a merciful release.

Rob Key cracked a couple of fours when going down the wicket to drive, but then he edged a drive to slip.

Saturday's centurions Michael Carberry and Matthew Walker opened with rasping drives, but their luck quickly ran out as they fell for 11 and 23 respectively. Carberry was turned round by a Mark Alleyne out-swinger, from his fifth ball in the match, and edged to slip, then Walker needlessly clipped to

mid-wicket to gift James Averis the first of his two wickets.

Fulton was out-foxed playing around a floating in-swinger from Alleyne and a brace of run-outs added to the farce. Geraint Jones (22) was clearly displeased to be given out after Alleyne's direct hit from short mid-on, then Tredwell (22) was caught idling back to his crease by Taylor's throw from backward point. Ferley top-scored with a plucky 31 from 29 balls.