Vitality Blast champions Kent Spitfires fell to their fifth defeat in five group matches, losing by 32 runs to Surrey at Canterbury on Friday night.

It was a comprehensive and fully deserved win for the visitors, who smothered Kent’s run chase and shared the wickets around, with all six bowlers claiming at least one victim.

Reece Topley had Surrey’s best figures with 3-24, while Chris Jordan took 2-27. Joe Denly made 44 at less than a run a ball for Kent, but lacked any real support.

Sam Curran was Surrey’s top scorer with 43 in 34 balls while Overton hit three sixes to add 27 not out in 11 balls at the death as Surrey added 59 runs in the last six overs of their innings.

Fred Klaassen took 2-41 and Grant Stewart 2-42, but both should have had more wickets as an improved fielding performance by Kent was still marred by a number of drops.

Kent opted to bowl first and made an early breakthrough when Will Jacks fell for two in the second over, an ugly swipe off Klaassen flying off the top edge before it was caught by Denly.

Jason Roy made 23 before he was bowled by Stewart, while Curran, who’d offered Sam Billings a difficult chance off Qais Ahmad when he was on 35, misjudged a sweep shot and was caught by Klaassen off Matt Milnes as Surrey reached 84-3 in the 11th over.

Sunil Narine hit the first six of the innings when he pulled Grant Stewart over square leg at the start of the 14th over, but as Surrey looked to accelerate, Laurie Evans was lbw to a Klaassen yorker for 19 and Narine hit Stewart to Denly at long on. He was caught for 25, but Stewart was denied a third wicket when Jordan Clark was dropped by Jack Leaning.

Overton hit Klaassen for successive sixes in the final over and was then dropped by Daniel Bell-Drummond at long off before he was run out for 27 by Billings, chasing a single off the final ball of the innings.

The chase got off to a rocky start when Bell-Drummond flicked Clark to Narine at short fine leg for just three in the second over and Daniel Worrall had Jordan Cox caught behind for two.

Billings holed out to Jamie Overton and was caught for 16 by Jacks and Alex Blake was out for the same score when he pulled Jordan to Clark. When Narine tempted Jack Leaning to swish a delivery to Chris Jordan for just one, Kent were 75 for five in the 14th over.

George Linde was out for 13 when Jordan threw the ball in the air before stepping over the boundary and stepping back in again to complete the catch.

Stewart hit sixes from successive Topley deliveries but he was out for 17 when he skied Topley to Jamie Smith. Denly fell in almost identical fashion to the final ball of the 19th. Ahmad was caught by Evans of Jordan for five in the final over.

Kent batting coach Ryan ten Doeschate said: "We changed our tactics here, obviously we wanted to bat second and chase judging from the first two games.

"We didn't feel the wicket was terrible, but it wasn't an absolute belter. I feel like we've been outskilled and there's been a drain in confidence. It's certainly not our best that we've put out that and I feel for the guys in there.

"I think Surrey are a very accomplished side but I think Kent are as well, they're reigning champions. I think confidence has got a big part to play, and some of the batters are a bit scratchy at the moment. I think 160 was a fair score but 20 off the last over changed the mood a little.

"The things that you could point your finger at with champions like complacency or arrogance, or shying away from the work that's absolutely not the case with this group. Everyone's trying really hard. It's just a case of dusting ourselves off and keeping on coming.

"It's not fair to say the tournament's gone, I've seen guys turn it around. It's a long way back from here, but let's focus on Sunday."

Kent host Middlesex at Canterbury on Sunday afternoon.