Darren Stevens prepares to congratulate Malinga Bandara for catching Essex skipper Mark Pettini off his bowling Picture: Barry Goodwin

Darren Stevens proved Kent’s match-winner once again as the Spitfires started their Friends Provident T20 season with a six-wicket win over Essex Eagles in front of a full house at Chelmsford on Wednesday night.

Stevens, last season’s Most Valuable Player in the competition, struck the winning runs, taking 18 off Graham Napier’s final over to see his side home, finishing 49 not out off only 28 balls with three sixes and three fours.

He and Geraint Jones (54) added 69 for the fourth wicket as Spitfires reached their target of 170, Jones blasting six fours and two sixes in his 34-ball knock, after being dropped on 11 by former team-mate Matt Walker

Ryan ten Doeschate set the tone with 98 from 47 balls with nine sixes and seven fours, rescuing the Eagles from a poor start as they slumped to 24-4, after Kent skipper Rob Key won the toss and put the home side in.

He pulled a surprise by giving Stevens the new ball but the 34-year old all-rounder responded by sending back both openers, Eagles skipper Mark Pettini and England’s Ravi Bopara, both for one.

Simon Cook sent back Napier (12) and Grant Flower (7), before ten Doeschate and Walker (21) started the fight back.

Malinga Bandara claimed two catches on his Spitfires debut but suffered with the ball – 0-39 in three overs – as ten Doeschate plundered four sixes in his first two overs, before being run-out off the penultimate ball of the innings.

Key and Joe Denly gave the Spitfires a solid start with 34 inside the first five overs. They both went, soon followed by Martin van Jaarsveld 98), before Jones and Stevens took centre stage.

Spitfires are back in action on Thursday facing Hampshire Hawks at Southampton.

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