SPITFIRES lost their bottle and this NatWest Pro40 League game with Worcestershire by five runs after once again snatching defeat from the jaws of victory at New Road.

Responding to the Royals’ total of 226 all out, Kent moved smoothly to 184 for two having lost Darren Stevens for a fluent 61.

With Martin van Jaarsveld seemingly leading from the front they were firm favourites to secure a third win in five starts until the one-day jitters struck yet again.

Having scored his third 50 in five league starts Darren Stevens took one liberty too many in backing away to cut a Ray Price arm-ball to lose his off stump.

Van Jaarsveld, usually Kent’s wisest head in this sort of situation, steadied the ship by reaching his maiden league 50 of the season from 58 balls with only three fours as he and Rob Key added 49 in 10 overs.

Khan then yorked the Kent skipper for a nervy 20 and, with 36 needed off the last four overs, van Jaarsveld went for a season’s best league score of 73 when he clipped a lifting ball from Khan to Matt Mason leaping at backward square-leg.

That bought together Dwayne Bravo and big-hitting Tyron Henderson, who scored only six before chancing a single to Roger Sillence at mid-on to be run out by a direct hit to the non-striker’s end.

Matt Walker went in the penultimate over, swiping to become Khan’s fourth victim, then Geraint Jones, in risking a third to Stephen Moore at deep mid-wicket was run out by yards.

With 13 needed off the last three balls from Nadeem Malik, James Tredwell hit four through mid-wicket, scampered two through mid-off but, requiring a six to tie off the last ball, could only slog a single allowing Worcestershire to steal victory.

Kent had suffered their first casualty in the ninth over of the reply when Neil Dexter cut a lifting long-hop from Khan into the hands of Moore leaping at cover point.

That bought together Stevens and van Jaarsveld for a sensible stand of 97 in 16 overs.

Working the ball into the gaps with aplomb, Stevens moved to a half-century from 57 balls and with six crisply driven fours.

There appeared no danger of defeat at that point, but once again, Kent made a complete hash of a one-day run chase.

After being given a stirring start by Lou Vincent and Vikram Solanki, the Royals’ innings slumped alarmingly before finding a second batting hero in the unlikely figure of Zaheer Khan.

The early loss of Moore, to a checked a drive from a Henderson slower ball, bought together 27-year-old Kiwi Lou Vincent and England batsman Vikram Solanki for a stunning 95-run stand in 12 overs.

Vincent straight drove Simon Cook’s fourth ball from the Diglis End for six, then Solanki took two successive sixes off Dexter in what proved his only over of the innings at a cost of 25.

He was replaced at the City End by Bravo, who also came in for a pelting and was also taken off after an opening over that went for 11.

It took the introduction of off-spinner Tredwell to turn the tide Kent’s way and inspire the loss of seven Worcestershire wickets for 65 in the space of 16 overs.

Solanki, having clattered 34 from 30 balls, over-stretched against Tredwell to give Geraint Jones a sharp stumping chance.

Then, four runs later, Vincent’s excellent run-a-ball stay of 61 - his third successive one-day 50 - ended when he aimed to cut at Simon Cook for Jones, stood up, to snaffle the chance at the second time of asking.

Steve Davies lifted a driven catch to cover when Tredwell held one back in his next over then dangerman Graeme Hick advanced down the pitch to york himself and go for 23.

The collapse continued when Sillence missed a push-drive against Bravo to lose his off stump, then Gareth Batty miscued when working across the line to van Jaarsveld to chip back a return catch.

Cook bagged a second scalp when Price‘s miscued drive skied high to slip to make it 178 for eight and, with eight overs remaining Spitfires fancied their chances of bowling the Royals out cheaply.

Khan had other ideas as he went out to bully four fours and two sixes on his way to a career-best 42 in this his 152nd one-day game.

Their fun ended when Khan, having dropped a firm return catch off Matt Mason, span around to run out the same player as he risked a cheeky single.

Then, off the last ball of the innings, Khan holed out of his namesake Amjad, but having taken his side to a creditable total.