KENT slid to their third totesport League game of the summer as Division 1 basement side Surrey, clinched a four-wicket win in Canterbury.

A delayed game reduced to 34 overs per side because of earlier rain, came to its crescendo just before 7.45pm when Alex Tudor hit a single through mid-wicket to win with just two balls of the game in hand. Coming off the back of Kent’s Twenty20 Cup elimination, this was yet another bitter pill for Spitfires’ fans to swallow and another below-par limited overs display by the side.

Chasing Kent’s total of 192 for eight, Surrey lost dangerman Ali Brown to Martin Saggers’ first ball of the innings when he chased a wide one to edge into the gloves of Geraint Jones.

James Benning, having been dropped by Jones from a bottom-edged cut, then allowed one to slip through the gate to make it eight for two, but then the Lions re-grouped to start their assault on Kent’s total.

Mark Ramprakash survived an early leg before shout to Ian Butler and went on to top-score with 66 from 81 balls, but he fell nine overs from the scheduled close to tip the balance Kent’s way.

But it was former Surrey and England one-day skipper Adam Hollioake, who saved the day with an unbeaten 41 from 32 balls.

He lost new Surrey skipper Jon Batty (28) to Khan and saw Azhar Mahmood run out by a sharp piece of fielding by Ian Butler, but then teamed up with Tudor to win it with an unbroken stand of 41.

Saggers and Khan finished with two wickets apiece, but some lusty late hitting coupled with the loss of 21 extras eventually cost Kent their third league defeat of the campaign and a share of second place.

Earlier, Kent’s batting was again a hit and miss affair against a makeshift Surrey attack including lesser lights Nayan Doshi and Phil Sampson and a rare appearance from Alex Tudor.

Their top-score of 61 came from the re-instated Ed Smith who, having been dropped for the entire Twenty20 Cup campaign, showed Kent supporters what they had been missing with a fourth league half-century in succession.

He lost opening partner Michael Carberry to the second ball of the game when he was adjudged caught behind of Azhar Mahmood, but went on to feature in a second wicket stand worth 83 with Alex Loudon.

The two ex-public school prodigies, having both been dropped off the bowling of Tudor, batted sensibly thereafter on a troublesome and two-paced St Lawrence track affected by the morning showers.

Loudon was just upping the tempo of his innings when, with his score on 35 from 57 balls, he was yorked by Jimmy Ormond to make it 83 for two.

Smith was then involved in two run outs that led to the demise of Rob Key (8) and Matt Walker (4), neither of which was really Smith’s fault.

Key chanced two to Ali Brown’s arm at deep square and just lost the race after three replays to the third umpire, then Walker was sent back after calling for a suicidal single to Alex Tudor at mid-off.

Smith had reached 61 from 80 balls with seven fours and a six before his innings ended in the 26th over.

Advancing to a Sampson full-toss, Smith was bowled by one dangerously close to being called for a waist-high no ball.

A cameo 16 from Geraint Jones, a run-a-ball 21 from David Fulton and 23 from just 12 balls clubbed by James Tredwell at least took Spitfires toward a defendable total at 192 for eight.

Jimmy Ormond backed up a superb catch to dismiss Tredwell with a decent bowling return of two for 27.

Kent will hope the possible return of Andrew Symonds from an Achilles heel injury will inspire an improved performance in Tuesday night’s day-night match with Hampshire Hawks.