Surrey finally find form

Azhaar Mahmood's 55 was to no avail for Kent

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Surrey managed only their second win of the competition, beating Kent by six runs in a Twenty 20 Cup thriller at Canterbury despite the efforts of Azhar Mahmood.

Mahmood, playing against his former side, finished with 55 from 31 balls and shared a 68-run stand with Yasir Arafat from just 36 balls after the Spitfires had been reduced to 55 for five.

With 14 runs needed off the last over, Mahmood was dismissed off the first ball, and with seven needed off two, Ryan McLaren was caught at deep midwicket for 16 to dent Kent’s hopes of qualification for the quarter-finals.

Joe Denly fell for just seven in the fourth over, caught at short cover off a full toss, and then Robert key holed out to deep square-leg for 14 to leave Kent struggling on 25 for two.

Chris Schofield picked up two wickets in the ninth over, Darren Stevens bowled off his legs for 15 and Matt Walker slicing to backward point for seven.

The fifth wicket to fall was that of Martin Van Jaarsveld for one, and, following their brilliant partnership, Arafat was trapped leg before for 27, with Geraint Jones failing to make an impact.

Earlier, after an opening stand of 66 between Alistair Brown and Scott Newman, the visitors lost their first wicket in the seventh over when Brown chased a wide delivery from McLaren (2-26) and was caught behind.

Just four balls later Chris Murtagh was bowled round his legs for a duck and another 21 runs were added before Newman became the third wicket to fall for 38.

The left-hander tried to take a second run but was sent back by Abdul Razzaq and was run out by some distance following a superb return from Joe Denly.

James Tredwell picked up his only wicket in the 11th over when Usman Afzaal tried to force though the leg side but found only a leading and van Jaarsveld took a simple catch to leave the Brown Caps on 91 for four.

Razzaq and Jonathan Batty shared a stand of 53 in seven overs before the return of Azhar Mahmood saw the dismissal of Batty for 26, caught off a leading edge.

In the penultimate over Razzaq smashed a full toss to Robert Key at backward point, having scored 39 from 33 balls, and skipper Mark Ramprakash holed out to deep square-leg for seven in the final over as Azhar finished with 2-41.