Joe Denly says his man-of-the-match performance over Surrey in the Vitality Blast will take a while to sink in.

Denly scored a century for Kent and followed this up with a hat-trick with the ball at The Kia Oval on Friday.

Spitfires went on to win by six runs when at one stage Surrey looked to be easing to a comfortable victory.

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Denly said: “It was very pleasing. Most importantly we got the win, which was even more pleasing. We’ve been involved in some tight games this year and showed a great deal of character.

“The belief within the changing room tonight and to claw that back tonight and bowl them out was a fantastic effort.

“To score a hundred in T20 is always very special and to back it up with a hat-trick is even more special. I don’t think I’ve had any days like this.

“Turning up today I knew I was in good form with the bat and delighted to get the hundred. To pick one or two wickets with the ball is a bonus but a hat-trick is very special and will take a little while to sink in.”

Denly’s 102 from 63 balls was his fourth century in T20 cricket as Kent scored 173-6 from their 20 overs.

With Surrey on 135-3 in the 13th over, up stepped the leg-spinner to give Spitfires a glimmer of hope. He claimed the wickets of Rikki Clarke, Jamie Smith and Mat Pillans to complete a magnificent hat-trick and end with figures of 3-31.

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Denly said: “The Oval is always a pretty decent place to play. If anything I thought the outfield was a bit slow. Slower than normal.

“There was a lot of running and halfway through the innings I was blowing a bit. The cutters were holding up a bit as it was a used wicket. They mixed up their pace well and made scoring boundaries tough.

“At the halfway stage I thought we might have been 10 or 15 short and it would take a special bowling performance to see us through and we were able to do that.

“I’ve never had a hat-trick before, maybe in the back garden but not out in the middle. It was a naughty hat-trick ball as well it probably didn’t deserve the hat-trick and it was caught down the leg-side but I will take it.

“I tried to bowl a similar ball to what I got my second wicket with but it just drifted a little too far down leg side and it was a great catch by Sam in the end. I didn’t think he was going to give it. I was down at fine leg celebrating and he still hadn’t given it but luckily he did.

“Obviously a crucial three wickets got us back in the game so very happy.”

It was also Kent’s overseas duo of Carlos Brathwaite and Adam Milne who mopped up the tail to complete the win.

Brathwaite (2-21) got wickets in the 16th and 18th overs while Milne (3-22) held his nerve and got the final two wickets in consecutive balls with Surrey needing seven runs.

Denly said: “Under lights it maybe skidded on a bit better and made it tough for our bowlers. They played very well, I was pretty happy that Burns got out as he seemed pretty happy facing me.

“You want your international overseas players to come in and deliver and he (Milne) certainly did that. Brathwaite as well did a good job in that previous over restricting them and building pressure.”

Kent’s next match is at Somerset on Sunday on a ground where they’ve had success in recent years.

Denly added: “We have got a few games coming up thick and fast. We will get up to Taunton early tomorrow, support England firstly in the football, and then go again against Somerset. There’s no easy game in the South group.”