HAMPSHIRE will be aiming to end their worst start to a T20 campaign since 2007 against Surrey at The Oval tomorrow night – after losing a thriller against Kent at Canterbury.

Shahid Afridi and Darren Sammy hit seven of Hampshire’s 11 sixes between them to provide hope.

But ex-Hampshire man David Griffiths, Kent’s death bowling specialist, dismissed both internationals as his former county suffered their third defeat in four games to go bottom of the Natwest T20 Blast's South Group.

In pursuit of Kent’s useful 193-3, Hampshire made a miserable start when Jimmy Adams (5) chipped the fourth ball of the reply from Darren Stevens to mid-on.

Then, in the third over, Lewis McManus (6) was run out at the non-striker’s end after Joe Denly’s sharp stop and throw from cover.

Adam Wheater made amends for the run out by pulling Griffiths for a six that landed next to the Sky Sports Hub, then Ervine deposited Stevens into the cheap seats to take the visitors on to 48-2 after the powerplay.

Thomas replaced Griffiths at the Nackington Road End and struck with his third ball by pegging back the off stump of Wheater (19).

James Tredwell snaffled a nonchalant left-handed catch off a leading edge to send Liam Dawson (6) packing.

Hampshire’s required run rate leapt to 12.3 an over at halfway.

Ervine was on 31 when he clubbed to deep square only to be reprieved when Ivan Thomas’s waist-high full-toss was adjudged a no ball, but further confusion between the batsmen led to the run out of Will Smith (9).

That was the cue for Ervine to cut loose. He clubbed successive sixes off Stevens to reached 32-ball 50, only to become the third run out victim when trying to scamper a single off Tredwell.

With Afridi and Sammy in tandem Hampshire’s scoring rate shot up.

Afridi deposited four sixes in seven deliveries from Tredwell and Matt Coles.

With 30 balls to go Hampshire’s asking rate had crept under ten an over for the first time sparking Sammy to hit his first maximum over mid-wicket.

Afridi’s fun ended for 35 when he drove a low full-toss from Griffiths to long-on as Kent’s death bowlers started to deploy their yorkers at will.

With 26 needed of 12 balls, Sammy pulled Coles for six then leant back to smatter four through extra cover but, to the last ball of the over the West Indian’s miscued drive was gathered by Coles who span to run out Gareth Andrew who was backing up.

With 14 needed of the last over from Griffiths, Gareth Berg chipped to long off to bring Sammy (30) onto strike, but he feathered a back-foot heave to the keeper to depart for 30 and Hampshire’s hopes went with him.

With one win apiece from three starts, both these south group sides went into the game needing a confidence-boosting victory in front of the Sky Sports cameras.

Tino Best took two of the three Kent wickets to fall in the 11th over; Joe Denly toe-ended a pull to deep mid-wicket and three balls later Daniel Bell-Drummond was bowled playing across the line.

Batting first after losing the toss, Kent faced four different bowlers in as many overs at the start, but Bell-Drummond and Denly had no alarms in posting 52 without loss at the end of the six powerplay overs.

Denly tucked into the bowling of Afridi with a brace of leg-side sixes on his way to a 30-ball 50.

It was his 20th half-century in the format and he passed another milestone soon after with his 3,000th run in the short form but, with his score on 59, Denly toe-ended a pull against Tino Best to hole out at deep mid-wicket.

Three balls later Best bowled Bell-Drummond (35) as the in-form opener worked across the line.

The hosts regrouped through Sam Billings and Sam Northeast before the former upped the momentum with a straight six, again off Afridi, as the Spitfires posted their 150 in the 17th over.

Billings reached his 50 in the penultimate over from 27 balls. It was his first double-figure score for the county since returning from the IPL last month.

Northeast (38) perished to the penultimate delivery of the innings, ending a stand of 94 in nine overs with Billings, who finished unbeaten on 55 from 30 balls.