Kent's man-of-the-match Darren Stevens rated his 32-ball cameo of 69 as his best one-day knock for the club after helping steer Spitfires into this month's Twenty20 finals day at the Rose Bowl.

The former Leicestershire man equalled his competition best to help Kent recover from 60-4 to go on and post a match-winning total of 175-6.

Afterwards a delighted Stevens said: "I'm glad we were sitting in the dugout over in the corner and not behind the arm, because there we couldn't see what was going on (with the ball) off the pitch.

"'Keysie' was looking to run the ball down and was getting hit on the gloves and on the body, so even before I went out there I knew it was doing a bit.

"It nibbled around off the surface and I was very surprised they took Neil Carter off, because he was bowling back of a length, had bowled me a couple of quick bouncers and was hard to get away.

"Then, against the spinners, it was so slow off the pitch that you couldn't get your hands through it, so I said to 'Kempie' let's just try and get through to the last seven overs or so and go from there, because we have batting power throughout the side.

"It worked well for us after that and when you hit with the breeze the ball just kept flying."

To complete a stunning night for the Hinkley-born player, he then took 2-29 from his four overs to help restrict the Bears to 133-8 from their 20 overs.

Stevens added: "Every time I came here with Leicestershire we seemed to loose but it seems a lucky place for me now.

"I enjoyed bowling and it went nicely for me, but I think I should have got three wickets but Azhar was a bit slow off the mark and didn't get to one."

Kent now join Essex and Middlesex at finals day on July 26, the other place will be decided when Durham play Nottinghamshire in the remaining quarter final, that after Yorkshire were thrown out of the competition for playing an unregistered player.