Opener Joe Denly struck a speedy 52 to help Kent beat Surrey by 13 runs in the Twenty20 Cup match at The Oval.

Denly hit six fours and two sixes off just 33 balls while Robert Key added a useful 42 as Kent reached a total of 181-5 inside 20 overs.

Surrey, who had put Kent in to bat, were always behind the required run-rate and lost wickets regularly with Ryan McLaren claiming 3-28.

Surrey were left needing 25 runs in the final over but were stranded on 168-7.

Kent had set about their task with haste thanks to Denly and Key, passing the 50 mark with Key's four in the sixth over.

Denly was caught in the ninth over by Ali Brown for 52, but after Martin van Jaarsveld went for just three, Justin Kemp (30) and Darren Stevens (31 not out) kept the runs ticking over.

A productive final over between Stevens and Geraint Jones yielded 17 runs to give Kent a decent total.

Surrey scored 17 in reply in the first over but Kent's bowlers soon stripped the home side of their most capable batsmen.

James Benning went for 17 with Mark Ramprakash (18) and Brown (11) following soon afterwards as Surrey were stuck on 97-3 after 11 overs.

The home side soon lost Scott Newman (48) and Abdul Razzaq (7) and were not able to recover.