Kent wicketkeeper Geraint Jones hold a fine diving catch to dismiss Surrey's Steven Davies in Kent Spitfires' six-wicket win over Surrey Lions at Beckenham on Sunday. Picture: Barry Goodwin

A third-wicket stand of 112 in 13 overs between Martin van Jaarsveld and Azhar Mahmood carried Kent Spitfires to a comfortable six-wicket t20 South Group win over Surrey Lions with 11 balls to spare at Beckenham on Sunday.

The victory, only Kent’s fifth in 15 t20 meetings between the two sides, pushes the Spitfires back into fourth place, maintaining their chances of qualifying for the knockout stages.

Van Jaarsveld, playing the 100 game of his t20 career, was dropped on 13 but stayed to hit 62 off 39 balls, including six fours and two sixes, while Mahmood cracked four sixes in his 36-ball 49.

They batted Kent out of trouble, after Rob Key and Joe Denly went inside the first two overs, before Sam Northeast (17 not out) hit the winning boundary. He and Darren Stevens (13 not out ) finished the job, with 31 in three overs.

Surrey skipper Rory Hamilton-Brown won the toss and batted first, but went to Wahab Riaz’s first ball and then Charl Langeveldt picked up Jason Roy (7) leaving the visitors 33-2.

Steven Davies (27), a guest in the Royal Box at Wimbledon the previous day, then went five runs later to a fine diving catch by Geraint Jones.

Tom Maynard hit 76 from 46 balls containing four sixes, with two in successive balls off Adam Ball. Maynard and Zander de Bruyn (25 not out) added 103 in 14 overs.

Maynard holed out to van Jaarsfeld at long-on in the penultimate over as Surrey ended on 150-4.