KENT will chase a 45-over total of 147 if they are to return to winning ways in tonight’s floodlight totesport League match with Hampshire in Canterbury.

The visitors slumped to 54 for six after winning the toss, but recovered to reach 146 all out after 42.3 overs courtesy of a swashbuckling innings of 79 from Dimitri Mascarenhas to at least make a game of it for the Sky Sports cameras.

On an unusually dry and tricky St Lawrence pitch, the same surface as used in last week’s Twenty20 Cup clash with Sussex, Hampshire elected to bat first and were soon regretting Shane Warne’s decision.

Neither opener looked at ease on the surface, but it took Kent seven overs to make a breakthrough even so.

Having been caught off a waist-high no ball the previous ball, Michael Brown (7) tried to steer the next delivery from Martin Saggers to third-man only to edge to wicketkeeper Niall O’Brien and make it 17 for one.

Derek Kenway pursuit of a single then cost him his wicket when, after John Crawley turned one to leg, he scampered back to his ground only to lose the race to Michael Carberry’s throw and Andrew Symonds lob back onto the stumps.

Saggers enjoyed a good stroke of luck when Crawley, with his score on 16, chased a long hop to flat-bat a catch to James Tredwell in the gully.

Spitfires’ new overseas professional Ian Butler got in on the act by nipping one back in to trap Nic Pothas (3) leg before then Symonds, who also extracted plenty of assistance for his seamers, snared Greg Lamb (1) leg before with another one that cut in off the seam.

The Hawks demise continued when Michael Clarke (15), in trying to work to leg, found a leading edge to give Symonds a simple return catch and make it 54 for six.

Off-spinner James Tredwell also found the pitch to his liking, finding more turn than usual, he spun one through Shane Warne’s gate to send the Hawks’ skipper packing for three, then drew Shaun Udal (5) down the track for O’Brien to pull off a sharp stumping.

Fresh from a bludgeoning Twenty20 campaign, all-rounder Dimitri Mascarenhas withdrew his horns with a backs-to-the-wall half-century from 72 balls and with seven fours.

He lost ninth wicket partner Alan Mullally (1) to a top-edged pull to Carberry at square- leg forcing Mascarenhas into some big-hitting late in the innings.

The Kiwi went for four and six from his first two balls of a new spell and conceded two more boundaries in his penultimate over as Mascarenhas went on the counter attack.

He was last man out for 79 from 93 balls with 10 fours and a brace of sixes, skying a drive to Symonds at cover to complete a good night for the Australian all-rounder.

Restored to the side after an Achilles tendon strain, Symonds was the pick of the Spitfires’ attack with three for 28, while James Tredwell sent down three maidens to finish with an excellent two for 24.