Kent's Darren Stevens sweeps on his way to a career-best 77 - but the day ended badly for the Spitfires. Picture: Barry Goodwin

by Andrew Gidley

Marcus Trescothick wrecked Kent Spitfires' hopes of a third successive appearance in a Twenty20 final with a one-man batting masterclass at Edgbaston.

The former England left-handed opener hit 56 off 32 balls, including eight fours and two sixes to guide the Somerset Sabres - winners in 2005 - to a seven-wicket win with seven balls to spare.

He received a standing ovation from the big Birmingham crowd after he miscued a delivery from James Tredwell with the total on 84-2 but, by then, the damage was done.

Trescothick blasted four fours off the luckless Amjad Khan in the first over of the innings to set the tone. All the Kent bowlers suffered, with Azhar Mahmood conceding 17 off his first over.

The introduction of in-form Tredwell (2-25) brought immediate reward when he dismissed Sabres skipper Justin Langer for 21 with the score 73 and then nine runs later he defeated Trescothick, who miscued to Mahmood at short third man.

James Hildreth (36) and Zander De Bruyn (33 not out) maintained the momentum with another half-century stand. The former was bowled by Mahmood, before the Sabres went on to finish on 146-3.

Earlier, Darren Stevens hit his sixth half-century in Twenty20 cricket to help the Spitfires recover from a poor start to their innings.

Stevens scored a career-best 77 off 51 balls, with seven fours and two sixes, and shared in two crucial stands with Justin Kemp (15 not out) and skipper Rob Key (34).

The all-rounder was run out off the last ball, having hit 20 off the final over from left-arm spinner Arul Suppiah as Kent totalled 145-5 in 20 overs.

He went in with Kent in disarray on 31-3 in the sixth over, after losing Joe Denly for a fourth ball duck and Martin Van Jaarsveld lbw for 10, both going in Alfonso Thomas' first two overs.

Geraint Jones was then bowled by Charl Willoughby for six, leaving Stevens and Key to engineer a major repair job until the Kent skipper was given out in controversial fashion by the TV umpire.

Former Kent man Peter Trego claimed the ball clipped the off stump, the officials agreed, and Key was on his way. He and Stevens had added 62 off 59 balls for the fourth wicket.

Kemp hit four off his first ball and stayed to give Stevens excellent support, but it was not enough.

Kent: Denly, Key (capt), Jones, Van Jaarsveld, Stevens, Kemp, Mahmood, Parnell, Tredwell, Cook, Khan.