Kent Spitfires failed in their bid to reach the NatWest T20 Blast quarter-finals after an agonising 10-run defeat to Surrey in their winner-takes-all contest on Friday.

Chasing the Surrey total of 154-9 at the Spitfire Ground St Lawrence they looked well placed before being stymied in the middle of their innings to close on 144-8.

They lost three wickets in the final over as they attempted to score the 15 required to win.

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Surrey's win took them through to the last eight at Kent's expense - to the huge disappointment of the 6,000-plus crowd - Kent's biggest at home in the competition this season.

Only Jason Roy (78) showed any mastery of the bowlers and conditions as Surrey went from 100-2 to 154-9 but Kent also lost their way after a promising start in reply with the middle overs proving decisive.

Opener Joe Denly - fresh from his record-breaking 127 against Essex - again top scored making 40 from 38 balls with five boundaries but only one other player got beyond the 20s.

That was Daniel Bell-Drummond who looked in good nick taking two sixes from the same Sam Curran over on his way to 22 from 14 balls before being trapped lbw by Jade Dernbach's slower ball with the total on 39.

Skipper Sam Northeast (19) then helped Denly add 39 in relatively sedate fashion before he mistimed Stuart Meaker to Curran at midwicket.

Sam Billings rapidly went to 15 before dragging a ball from Moises Henriques onto his stumps to make it 97-3 and just two runs later Denly was caught behind by Ben Foakes as he tried to run one down off Rikki Clarke.

The wobble was definitely on at that stage and hard as they tried Kent could just not relieve the pressure.

Darren Stevens (13) was next to go - caught by Foakes off Curran to make it 129-5, and although Blake and Neesham managed a couple of lusty blows between them the rate just kept escalating.

Twenty six off three overs became 23 off two and finally 15 from the last.

However Blake (9) was caught and bowled by Clarke and off the next ball Neesham (17) holed out to Henriques. Clarke then trapped Milne leg before to finish with 4-16 from his four overs.

After winning the toss and choosing to bat, the early part of Surrey's innings was dominated by England ODI star Roy, who scored his 26th T20 half-century.

The renowned improviser wasted no time in putting bat to ball and completely outscored opening partner Aaron Finch in a stand of 46.

The Australian had contributed just eight with one six when he was bowled in the fifth over by Milne, who then trapped Henriques leg before next ball.

Foakes avoided the hat-trick but Surrey were only 59-2 after the six over powerplay and Roy apart all their batsmen struggled to get going.

Roy raced to his fifty from 31 balls with eight fours and two sixes and all the time he was the crease he looked a class apart from his team-mates. He hit all but two of the 12 boundaries Surrey managed in their innings.

Foakes (13) went with the score on exactly 100, caught off Claydon by a sprawling Imran Qayyum and the visitors just could not get any partnerships going during the middle overs with Neesham, Calum Haggett and Claydon all tightening the screw.

Haggett it was who claimed the prized wicket of Roy, fourth out at 111 for 78 well caught by Neesham having hit 10 fours and three sixes from 43 deliveries.

The all-rounder then bowled Ollie Pope (10) with the total on 130 and with the boundaries having all but dried up Clarke (3) was well caught just in front of his face by Alex Blake running in from long-off to give Neesham his first wicket with the total on 136.

The Kiwi's second was not long in coming as Rory Burns was well taken off a skier by skipper Northeast to make it 141-7 and in a helter skelter last over Milne bowled Sam Curran for 20 (153-8) before skipper Gareth Batty was run out off the final ball by Sam Billings as he attempted to run a bye to the keeper.

Milne finished with 3-26 from his four overs, while Neesham took 2-26, Haggett 2-32 and Claydon 1-24.