HAMPSHIRE T20 captain Sean Ervine praised former teammate David Griffiths following his side’s eight-run defeat against Kent at Canterbury last night.

Griffiths was restricted to nine T20 appearances in seven injury- plagued years for Hampshire.

But he dismissed Hampshire’s overseas duo in taking 2-24, with his yorkers restricting his former county to only five runs in the final over.

“I though ‘Griff’ and Ivan Thomas bowled exceptionally for Kent and they probably made the difference,” said Ervine, who hit three sixes in his 34-ball 56.

With Darren Sammy and Shahid Afridi at No’s 7 and 8 and Gareth Berg at No 10, Hampshire have one of the competition’s stronger lower orders.

But the 194-run target was just beyond them.

“With two world superstars in your side our job is to create a platform, take it deep and then let them do what they do best,” continued Ervine.

“Maybe we left it too late and four run outs certainly didn’t help.

"But at one stage they were looking at 220, so we clawed it back well and definitely thought it was gettable.

"We just needed a good partnership in the middle."

Hampshire's nhird defeat in four games represents their worst start to a T20 season for nine years.

Next up is Surrey at The Oval tomorrow night.

"It is a little bit concerning, we need some momentum going forward," admitted Ervine.

Kent captain Sam Northeast said: “It was a game that never felt done and dusted.

“We might have taken a few more wickets sooner and got the job done sooner, but it’s never ideal when you’ve got Sammy and Afridi walking out, hitting it from ball one.

“Griff has been brilliant for us and it’s great to have him fit again [following close-season back surgery].

“He’s seriously one of the best bowlers at the death when he’s fit and that was a remarkable little spell from him again.”