FOR more than a year, Hampshire swept aside all before them in domestic t20 competition so their first defeat in 14 matches may well have been a blessing in disguise.

If there was any complacency in the Royals’ ranks after 13 straight wins, it has surely gone after this eight-run defeat to a Kent side whose Friends Life t20 interest was already over.

Not since Kent’s previous t20 visit to the Ageas Bowl at the beginning of last season’s tournament  had Hampshire lost a domestic match in the shortest format.

But with yet another victory in their sights, a toxic combination of complacency and nervous tension seemed to set in.

Only 20 were needed from the last three overs, but Hampshire then lost four wickets, while failing to hit any ball for more than a single.

The wicket was slow and the boundaries deep but they should have won comfortably after restricting the Spitfires to a below-par 143-8, despite having lost the toss on another glorious summer’s afternoon.

Danny Briggs (3-19) was outstanding, taking a wicket in each of his first three overs after Kent’s new-look opening partnership – FLt20 debutant Fabian Cowdrey and Daniel Bell-Drummond replaced Rob Key and Sam Northeast – had taken 53 from the six-over powerplay.

Hampshire enjoyed the thrill of the chase in their first five games, but were behind the rate from the start.

As expected, Michael Carberry (35 from 31 balls) soon opened his shoulders, hitting the game’s only six – a pull over long- on against Vernon Philander - as well as his four fours during the powerplay (36-1).

But by then, Vince had gone for five (12 balls), caught by a back peddling mid-on. Jimmy Adams holed out to long-on, where Carberry drove a length ball from off-spinner Adam Riley in the 12th over.

It was at this point that McKenzie (47) and Sean Ervine (27) began their seven-over, 62-run stand, which put Hampshire in total control after the 16th and 17th overs, which cost 18 and 16 apiece.

First Ervine took apart Darren Stevens’ medium pace, then McKenzie handed out similar treatment to fellow South African Philander. A third successive seven-wicket win looked probable.

But then the neuroses set in. Hampshire got away with it when they collapsed before beating Sussex off the last ball in their previous home match.

Not this time. With another good crowd in attendance (7,400), they choked at the death. Ervine holed out to long-on as Claydon conceded just three from the 18th.

Philander was just as frugal in the penultimate over, which saw Dawson run out and Mascarenhas out first ball, pulling to wide long-on.

With 14 needed off the final over, McKenzie and Tanvir managed three singles from as many balls  before departing in quick succession.

Tanvir was run out before McKenzie, so often there at the end for Hampshire, reminded us that he is only human, pulling to deep mid-wicket.