Kent Spitfires v Middlesex Crusaders

Reigning champions Kent will do battle with unbeaten qualifying group leaders Middlesex in a vital Twenty20 Cup Southern Division tie in Beckenham tonight.

Having lost Wednesday night's clash against Essex by one run, Spitfires will need to return to winning ways at Worsley Bridge Road from 5.30pm, but that will be no easy task against Ed Smith's new look Crusaders side.

Middlesex have won all five of their qualifiers to date and hold a four point lead, having played a distinctive and innovative brand of cricket. They pack the top six with left-handed batsmen and their bowlers, in the main, send down one over at a time in order to keep the opposing batters unsettled.

Kent's coaching co-ordinator Simon Willis says the hosts will take these tactics into account, but he prefers his side to centre their focus on their own game plan.

Willis said: "We've got these two vital games up at Beckenham (Friday and Sunday) and I think that's a big positive for us.

"It's a good, fast scoring ground, our boys like the wickets there and we know what sort of game to play there.

"That puts things very much in our favour, so our guys must go out there, believe in themselves and play with freedom.

"We'll take stock fitness wise with the squad ahead of the game and see what the weather brings, but in all reality there won't be too many changes."

Willis added: "I'm telling the lads to just concentrate on their own games because we know that if we perform to our best we will beat any team in the country.

"That's all we will be focussing on, what other teams do is completely down to them."

Middlesex have injury doubts over former Kent batsman Smith, who has an ankle strain, if he fails a late fitness test Ed Joyce is likely to skipper their side.

Kent have sold 4,300 tickets in advance for tonight's game and are expecting a crowd in excess of 7,000 so ask supporters to get to Beckenham in good time.

Kent from:Key, Denly, van Jaarsveld, Kemp, Stevens, Jones, Mahmood, McLaren, Arafat, Tredwell, Cook, Joseph.

Middlesex from:Andrew Strauss, Billy Godleman, Ed Joyce, Ed Smith, Eoin Morgan, Dawid Malan, Ben Scott, Tim Murtagh, Shaun Udal, Tyron Henderson, Murali Kartik, Dirk Nannes, Steven Finn, Dan Housego.