HAMPSHIRE crashed to a last-over defeat after an astonishing comeback by Kent at The Ageas Bowl.

Kent were 70-5 after ten overs when Alex Blake responded with a career-best 71 not out from only 30 balls, including six sixes - one of which secured the five-wicket victory with four balls to spare.

It was the sort of comeback often seen from Hampshire, who will now know how Nottinghamshire felt when they won their 2012 quarter-final at Trent Bridge.

Hampshire were on course for a second successive T20 victory when Will Smith took 3-24 after James Vince laid the foundation for his side’s 172-6 with a 43- ball 66 (ten fours, two sixes).

After winning the toss, Vince treated the Bank Holiday weekend crowd to his highest score of the season against a Kent attack including two former teammates in David Griffiths (2-36) and Matt Coles (0-15) .

Michael Carberry (20) dominated the 32-run opening stand, hitting the medium pace of Darren Stevens for 16 from three balls, including successive sixes – behind square and over long-on – in the first over.

But Vince, putting his poor Championship form to one side, soon found his rhythm, cutting three fours from four Mitch Claydon deliveries before Carberry, having glanced Griffiths’ first ball for four, chipped the second to deep-backward square-leg.

Jimmy Adams (one) scored the only run from Coles’ first over but he was soon bowled by the first ball from future England off-spinner Adam Riley.

Coles (2-0-15-0) did not return to the attack after conceding three fours from five balls against Vince - cover-driven, cut and hooked - in the last over of the powerplay.

Having been 40-1 after three overs, Hampshire were 61-2 after six. Riley, Stevens and the slow left-arm of Fabian Cowdrey kept Vince and Owais Shah in check, at least for a while.

Vince hit Riley for 20 from the first four balls of the 12th over, including successive sixes – over long- on and a towering maximum over mid-wicket – before holing out attempting a third, when deep-mid-wicket Denly did well to hold on at the second attempt.

There ended his stand of 61 from 46 balls with Owais Shah (26), who saw Sean Ervine caught behind to an excellent ball angled across his bows from Griffiths before lofting Stevens to Denly.

Hampshire were grateful for a career-best 36 at a two-a-ball strike rate from Adam Wheater.

His five fours included an imperious off-drive and a reverse sweep against Riley as he surpassed the 34 he made against Sussex at The Ageas Bowl exactly a year ago.

He was yorked by the second ball of the penultimate over from Claydon before Will Smith and Chris Wood added 14 from the last ten balls to ensure a total only one less than the 173 that proved too much for Essex a week earlier.

Smith (3-24) was once again the pick of the bowlers. He got Hampshire’s attack off to the best possible start with an outstanding, low, sharp return catch to see off Daniel Bell-Drummond after only four balls of the Kent reply.

Joe Denly, having swatted Chris Wood’s second ball for a mid-wicket six, hit four fours in Fidel Edwards’ first over.

But he was gone for 26 (17 balls) when he drove Danny Briggs’ first ball to Adams at extra cover.

Yasir Arafat closed out the Kent powerplay on 50-2 and Briggs, Smith and Edwards tightened the screw before Wheater dismissed two of the dangermen - Sam Billings (15) and Darren Stevens - (three) in the space of five balls.

When an Edwards yorker squirted down to short third man, Billings was run out by Wheater’s direct hit after being sent back.

Wheater continued a fine night’s work when he stumped Stevens in the next over, which Smith ended by trapping Fabian Cowdrey for a two-ball duck.

But then Blake and Kent captain Sam Northeast proceeded to share an unbroken sixth-wicket partnership of 108 from only 56 balls.

Northeast was only troubled when an Edwards full toss struck him in the nether regions. His 49-ball 60 (seven fours) was the perfect foil for left-hander Blake, who had only scored two T20 fifties before but played like a world beater.

Had Carberry held on as he dived at deep cover, Blake would have gone for 37, with Kent still needing 31 from 16 balls.

Alas, it was not to be. In the same Arafat over, Blake hit an audacious six over cover and he did the same to Wood in the penultimate over before closing out the game with ten from the first two balls of the last from Arafat.