KENT can expect to have to win both their remaining Twenty20 Cup Southern Group qualifiers if they are to book a place at next month’s glittering finals day at Trent Bridge.

After making a flying start to their campaign by drubbing Hampshire in Beckenham a week ago, Kent’s hopes of topping the southern group came unstuck with Thursday night’s shock seven-wicket reverse to Middlesex in Richmond.

David Fulton’s side bounced back with an edgy three-wicket victory over Essex under floodlights on Friday, but qualification for the Nottingham finals day on July 19 is no longer certain unless they win both their remaining games.

Kent will now have to win their televised clash with regional league leaders Surrey in Canterbury tonight (Monday) and triumph under the lights at Hove in their final qualifier against Sussex tomorrow (Tuesday) to go through as one of the three zone winners.

The set back at Richmond was a throw back to early season National League performances and this time even newly arrived overseas star Andrew Symonds was unable to inspire the side.

Invited to bat first on a blustery evening and on a club pitch of trampoline bounce, Kent struggled to form any significant partnerships in a mediocre total of 161 for eight.

Lured by short straight boundaries, Kent batsmen lofted catches to long-off and long-on like they were going out of fashion allowing Ashley Noffke to finish with flattering figures of three for 29.

James Tredwell with 34 from 32 balls and Matt Walker (35 from 27) attempted to resurrect the innings after a dismal start, but their total was possibly 30 to 40 short of a defendable total.

The Middlesex left-handed opening combo of Andrew Strauss (60) and Paul Weekes (29) made light of the reply with a first wicket stand of 77 and although Symonds accounted for Strauss and Chad Keegan (23) the hosts won at the canter with 16 balls and seven wickets in hand.

Spitfires' had Durban-born all-rounder Matthew Dennington to thank for their nervous three-wicket win over Essex on Friday.

In front of a sell-out 6,000 crowd, Kent dismissed the hosts inside 18.4 overs for just 116 with Dennington, who replaced Alamgir Sheriyar for only his second game, bagging four for 28 and the man-of-the-match award.

Only Zimbabwean Andy Flower gave much resistance with 33 from 23 balls, including three fours and two sixes, as Kent wrapped up the home innings with eight balls of the allocation left with Peter Trego and Ben Trott claiming two wickets apiece.

The only stand of significance was 54 between Graham Napier and Flower.

Paul Grayson (22) was the only other batsman to reach the 20s but, after some banter with Dennington, the South African-born player with Kentish parents uprooted off stump to send Grayson packing.

Spitfires fielded superbly throughout, with Michael Carberry excelling on the cover boundary, while Andrew Symonds took a stunning over-head catch at cover to account for James Foster.

Kent lost Trego (4) to the second ball of their reply, but second wicket partners James Tredwell (31) and Symonds who added 58 in a shade over five overs before Tredwell skied back to the bowler.

Symonds smashed seven fours in his 14-ball innings of 32, but was cut off in his prime and under controversial circumstances.

A waist-high full-toss from Dutch medium pacer Ryan ten Doeschate was allowed to stand as a legitimate delivery by umpire Alan Whitehead allowing Irani to claim the catch at mid-wicket as Symonds turned the ball off his hip.

Symonds marched off making his feelings known to the official and the dismissal clearly unsettled the visitors, who suffered a mini collapse losing Mark Ealham, Matt Walker, Greg Blewett and Carberry in quick succession.

But, as has been the case for much of a sorry season, keeper Geraint Jones kept a cool head while all round lost theirs to see Spitfires home with 23 balls to spare with an unbeaten 20 from 15 balls.

Tonight’s clash at St Lawrence against Surrey starts at 5.35pm, while tomorrow’s final qualifier in Hove begins at 7.30pm.