Kent registered their first Friends Life t20 win of the summer at the sixth time of asking with a surprise eight-run win at defending champions Hampshire on Sunday.

The Spitfires rang the changes with a youthful team, handing first starts to Daniel Bell-Drummond and Fabian Cowdrey who put on a stand of 55 for the opening wicket over six and a half overs.

Cowdrey went first, bowled by Danny Briggs for 21, while Bell-Drummond was caught off Briggs (3-19) in the next over for 27.

Briggs also accounted for Darren Stevens (14) while Alex Blake (9) and Geraint Jones (1) following soon after as the visitors fell to 94-5 in the 14th over.

Sam Billings (26) put on 24 with Veron Philander before departing with 17 balls remaining.

Matt Coles was caught by Michael Carberry off Sohail Tanvir (3-29) for one, while Philander was caught behind for 10 off the same bowler. Two late boundaries from skipper James Tredwell (15 not out) steered Kent to 143-8.

The total looked within the hosts’ grasp but solid bowling and timely wickets ensured Hampshire remained below the run-rate required and a late rally fell short.

Philander dismissed James Vince early on and when Jimmy Adams was caught off Tredwell and the lively Carberry (35) holed out off Adam Riley, the hosts were 64-3 and needing more than eight an over with nine overs left.

The asking rate was 11-an-over after 15 overs but Stevens was punished with 18 runs coming from Sean Ervine in a single over with Ervine and Neil McKenzie cracking another 16 off the 17th over from Philander.

Hampshire were 124-3 and needed 20 from the final three overs but Mitch Claydon had Ervine caught for 27 in a three-run over and then Philander’s final over saw a run-out and Dmitri Mascarenhas depart for a golden duck, costing just three more runs.

Two more wickets fell in the final over from Claydon (2-24) as Hampshire fell apart to suffer their first defeat in 17 matches, their last coming at home against the Spitfires by three runs in June 2012.