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Spitfires win Hove nail bitter

Andrew Hall followed a quickfire 28 with three crucial wickets in five balls as Kent moved closer to qualifying for the knockout stages of the Twenty20 Cup with a thrilling win over rivals Sussex.

Sussex, chasing a target of 156 before a capacity crowd of 6,000 under the Hove floodlights, looked to be cruising at 120 for three after 15 overs.

But they disastrously lost their last seven wickets for just 25 in 22 balls to go down to their second defeat by 10 runs.

Pace bowler Hall's return to the attack sparked a dramatic Kent fightback with Mike Yardy, skipper Chris Adams and Carl Hopkinson all falling in his first over back.

Sussex later dived to 130 for nine with last pair James Kirtley and Sean Heather needing 18, but Amjad Khan clinched Kent's fifth win in six games by trapping Kirtley leg before.

This was only Sussex's fifth defeat in all cricket this season and a particularly heavy blow for captain Adams, whose 63 was his highest score in the competition this season.

Sussex lost openers Matt Prior and Richard Montgomerie inside the first five overs, Prior's run out being followed by Montgomerie holing out at wide mid-on off first change Tyrone Henderson.

Skipper Adams put his side on course by firing six fours and a six from only 43 balls, but Hall's burst of wickets tilted the match Kent's way.

Earlier, Darren Stevens and Neil Dexter shared in Kent's highest opening partnership of the season by firing 61 from only 34 balls.

Stevens, who cracked Yasir Arafat for three successive boundaries, skied Luke Wright to long on having made 36 off only 22 balls.

Hall hoisted Robin Martin-Jenkins high over mid-wicket and had also cracked three fours when he fell to a running catch at long-on off Heather.

Kent failed to take full advantage after posting 92 from nine overs and medium pacers Heather and Yardy checked their progress by taking three for 16 and one for 19 respectively.

Dexter's 39-ball thrash ended when he lofted Heather to deep mid-wicket, and the dangerous Henderson fell to a catch on the mid-wicket boundary off a full toss by Heather for only four.

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