Kent Spitfires suffered their third straight home defeat in Friends Life t20 South Division with a tame 47-run surrender against Essex Eagles on Friday night.

Kent skipper James Tredwell won the toss and chose to bowl first and it was the spinner who led by example, helping slow down a quick-start from the visitors to put Kent on top.

However a six-laden blast of 59 from Owais Shah steered the Eagles to a total of 164-6 and stifling bowling from the likes of Graham Napier, Shaun Tait and teen sensation Reece Topley left Kent chasing the game and wickets flowed faster than boundaries as they were bowled out for 117 with more than two overs remaining.

In glorious sunshine and infront of a bumper crowd of over 5,000, Vernon Philander made the breakthrough with the first ball of the fourth over as he got Greg Smith to hack onto his own stumps for a breezy 19 and make it 34-1.

Despite the run-rate remaining high, Tredwell picked up a wicket within three balls of coming in two overs later, getting Napier to loft one down the throat of Alex Blake infront of the Woolley Stand to make it 52-2.

Tredwell was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 1-19 from his four overs.

Hamish Rutherford smashed sixes off Philander and Matt Coles in an 18-ball 29 but was annoyed when given out LBW to Adam Riley to make it 55-3. Riley had bowled the Kiwi for a duck in the t20 warm-up game at the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, two weeks previously.

Darren Stevens struck with his first ball when he tempted Ravi Bopara into edging behind to Sam Billings for eight to make it 75-4.

Shah made it his personal mission to keep the run-rate up as it looked like Kent were turning the screw, hitting sixes off Riley and two off Stevens, eventually finishing with six.

Ryan Ten Doeschate made a solid 31 from 23 balls before he was run-out amid confusion with Shah, with Billings and Philander combining well to get the bails off at the bowler’s end.

With eight balls remaining Shah dragged one on from Mitch Claydon after a fine 37-ball knock.

The reply got off to the worst possible start as Sam Northeast walked across his stumps to get trapped LBW with the first ball from Napier.

Tait took the ball at the other end and the duo provided a stiff test in the early stages as the run-rate required headed up towards 10.

Kent laboured to 30-1 at the end of the powerplay, whereas Essex had been 50-1 from the same six overs.

Billings (15) attempted to club Topley away, only to hole-out to a diving Greg Smith in the deep, which brought in Stevens for his 100 FLt20 batting appearance – the 37-year-old being the first to achieve the milestone.

Despite huge pressure on his shoulders Stevens produced another accomplished blitz with two fours and a mighty six but he had only been there for 10 balls when he pulled a Ravi Bopara delivery onto his stumps to depart for 19.

Kent were 61-3 with 11 overs remaining and Alex Blake upped the run-rate with a big six and a four to follow it up.

However Key skied one to Smith off Tim Phillips for 26 from 30 balls to leave Kent at 82-4 after 11.0 overs and Blake followed suit, caught by Topley off Phillips, to leave Kent on 93-5.

From then on the visitors ran-riot with Coles, Ben Harmison, Tredwell and Claydon departing for single figures as the final four wickets fell for the addition of just six runs.

Napier took the last two in successive deliveries to finish with 3-12 and Tople took 3-19. Bopara and Phillips took two apiece.

Basement-boys Kent visit Middlesex at Uxbridge on Sunday afternoon before a trip to Essex on Monday night.