FRIDAY is Twenty20 Cup D-Day for the Spitfires as they and their supporters head towards the Brit Oval for tonight’s final southern group qualifier against Surrey.

Having led the group for much of the campaign, the Brown Caps lost to Sussex on Thursday allowing the Sharks to take over the leadership and secure qualification for the quarter-finals for the first time.

As for Kent, they need to win in Kennington for the first time in the five-year history of the competition if they are to guarantee their place in the knock-out stages, a victory which may eliminate the hosts for the first time at this group stage level.

Should any of the four southern group teams vying for qualification finish level on points, the final places will be decided using the following factors: most wins, higher net run rate, highest number of wickets per ball then, if still inseparable, by drawing lots.

Kent skipper Rob Key is again struggling to play. He underwent a long fitness test on Thursday morning and again felt tightness in his suspect hamstring.

Chances are he will not risk the injury ahead of Sunday’s crucial championship match with Worcestershire at New Road.

The match will also represent Morne Morkel’s final appearance for Spitfires before jetting off for the South Africa Academy tour of Australia.

The 22-year-old strike bowler is expected to return to Kent by August 10 and seems likely to remain with the county for the remainder of the summer as locum to Andrew Hall.

A sell-out 19,000 crowd is expected at the Brit Oval for the group decider which starts at 5.30pm.

Kent from: Walker, Denley, van Jaarsveld, Stevens, Dexter, Jones, McLaren, Arafat, Tredwell, Cook, Morkel, Key.