Kent Spitfires beat Sussex Sharks by a single run in a thrilling finish at Hove in their Vitality Blast South Group match.

Sussex Sharks needed nine off the final over, chasing 196 for victory, but Kent took two wickets off the last two balls from Fred Klaassen to claim the win by the narrowest of margins.

Skipper Daniel Bell-Drummond, with the help of Klaassen, ran out Kent-born Ollie Robinson as the Spitfires made it back to back wins in the T20 competition, topping the group in the process.

The Spitfires had been put into bat, opening pair Daniel Bell-Drummond (22) and Zak Crawley (67) sharing a 55-run partnership in the power play.

The star man from the victory over Surrey , Heino Kuhn, was out for four while Crawley built another partnership, putting on 68 with Alex Blake (41).

Jack Leaning hit three sixes off the penultimate over to help boost Kent’s total, adding 37 from 17 balls as they ended on 195-5.

The Sharks got off to a flying start in reply, Klaassen conceding 14 runs off the first over to Phil Salt. Grant Stewart’s opening over was expensive too, costing 21 runs.

Salt’s wicket was an important one, departing for 33 off 13, caught at long on by Imran Qayyum off the bowling of Klaassen.

Fellow opener Luke Wright responded with successive boundaries as the Sharks stayed well ahead of the required run-rate but he eventually went for 40, Qayyum again taking the catch off Tim Groenewald (1-33).

Matt Milnes (1-31) claimed the wicket of David Wiese, who had hit 38 off 30 balls, picking out Kuhn as he holed out off the final ball of the penultimate over.

Klaaseen (2-51) bowled wides off his first two balls of the final over, leaving Sussex needing seven off six balls, but the Dutchman had Ravi Bopara caught behind and then ran out Robinson in a thrilling finish for Kent.

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