And that concludes our coverage of tonight's T20 Blast action.

We'll be back tomorrow with more ball-by-ball radio and text commentary. Catch you then.

Image source, Rex

Four more former winners - including the only side to have won the domestic T20 trophy three times - make their entries into the competition tomorrow evening.

Leicestershire are the sole 'three-peaters', but their last win was a decade ago and they face a tough opening fixture away to Lancashire.

Surrey and Middlesex, respectively winners in 2003 and 2008, meet in a London derby, while 2014 champions Birmingham Bears travel to Headingley.

Yorkshire are one of five counties yet to win a T20 title and two of the others, Glamorgan and Gloucestershire, meet in Cardiff.

• Lancashire Lightning v Leicestershire Foxes, Old Trafford (18:30)
• Yorkshire Vikings v Birmingham Bears, Headingley (18:30)
• Glamorgan v Gloucestershire, Sophia Gardens Cardiff (18:30)
• Middlesex v Surrey, Lord's (19:00)

A disappointing run-chase by Hampshire Hawks at Canterbury where Kent completed a comfortable victory to start their T20 campaign.

They may not have won a Championship game so far this summer, but a total of 176-6 proved plenty good enough for Kent as left-arm paceman Fred Klaasen took 4-32.

Grant Stewart claimed two wickets with successive balls at the start of the final over, with Chris Wood and Lewis McManus both caught by Alex Blake.

Darren Stevens took 2-22 from his four overs in his first T20 Blast game since August 2019.

Another one for Fred Klaassen at Canterbury where Joe Weatherley swings across the line, misses and is palpably leg-before.

The right-hander had struck the previous delivery over the covers to move on to 37 and his dismissal means that Hampshire surely have too much to do.

This Hampshire run chase is running out of steam at Canterbury where two wickets have fallen in the same over.

Liam Dawson attempted a big hit down the ground, but it just went vertical and bowler Fred Klaassen had to wait an age for it to come down before grabbing a caught and bowled.

James Fuller has also gone, miscuing a pull to Alex Blake at mid-on and the left-arm paceman now has 2-21. The Hawks need another 79 from five.

Victory sealed with a six!

Jack Plom pulls Josh Davey for a big maximum to wrap up victory for Essex with more than an over to spare.

It looked like it was going to be a fairly close-run thing at the midway point of the chase, but Jimmy Neesham's 53 proved crucial.

Aron Niijar picks out the boundary with his very first ball. A superb way to take the sting out of the situation.

Five needed off nine balls. Essex still well in control. Somerset, you expect, may need to bowl them out if they're to win.

Like Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta, Darren Stevens may have been thinking 'you're the one that I want' before bowling to James Vince - and he has got him.

The Hampshire captain swipes the all-rounder but his placement is awry and Jordan Cox takes a magnificent catch to send him on his way for 34.

The Hawks need another 104 from 9,.2 overs - it's a tall order.

Huge moment!

Just as Essex looked in control of the chase, Marchant de Lange strikes twice in the space of two balls - including the key wicket of Jimmy Neesham.

First captain Simon Harmer departs, attempting to guide a bouncer over the boundary rope at third man but instead picking out Ed Byrom.

And then, next up, De Lange produces a brilliant yorker to uproot a couple of Neesham's poles.

Nine needed off 12 balls - but with two new batsmen at the crease.

50 for Jimmy Neeshampublished at 21:09 British Summer Time 9 June 2021

21:09 BST 9 June 2021

Somerset 185-7 v Essex 175-5 (17.3 overs)

And another Jimmy Neesham boundary moves Essex to within 10 of their required total and brings up the New Zealand all-rounder's half-century.

Essex are surely in the box seat now.

Jimmy Neesham is unbeaten on 48 and this partnership with Simon Harmer has put them in command.

Spinner James Logan has been given a second chance by Kent after a couple of first-class games for Yorkshire, having agreed a short-term deal with the club. Tonight is his T20 Blast debut and he has just had Sam Northeast caught at long-off for six. James Vince is still there, though, for the visitors on 31 not out.

We all know Jimmy Neesham hits a big ball and he's wasted no time in entertaining the Taunton crowd.

He's raced to 33 from 15 balls - including two maximums - to leave Essex needing 46 from five overs.

Simon Harmer at the other end needs to give Neesham as much of the strike as possible.

Kent's Grant Stewart must be very frustrated. He saw D'Arcy Short hit three fours in two overs off his bowling - but one was a thick outside edge over where slips might have been and another an under-edge down past the diving keeper.

The Australian has gone for 29, though, caught behind off Darren Stevens' first delivery. It was down the leg-side and a thin edge was superbly held by keeper Ollie Robinson.

That's a big wicket.

Marchant de Lange fires a nasty short ball into Ryan ten Doeschate, who can't drop his hands quickly enough and it's feathered behind to wicketkeeper Tom Banton.

Ten Doeschate had shared 55 with Michael Pepper to keep the chase interesting.

Next man in is New Zealand's Jimmy Neesham.

Hampshire have a strong opening combination in James Vince and Australia signing D'Arcy Short and Fred Klaasen's opening over has just yielded up four boundaries, two to each batsman. The first three were through the leg-side before Short reached the rope with a lofted drive.

Image source, Rex Features

Paul Walter (33 not out) and Ryan ten Doeschate (22 not out) continue to go along really nicely for Essex, who are well placed at the midway point of their chase.

They need 98 off the last 10 overs.

Image source, PA

Notts skipper Steven Mullaney admitted his side only had themselves to blame after their game with Worcestershire at New Road ended in a tie.

They restricted the Rapids to 152-6 and were cruising along while openers Joe Clarke (45) and Alex Hales (31) were together, only to finish on 152-8

"We lost wickets at key times, poor decisions and poor execution. Worcestershire stuck in and got a deserved point," Mullaney told Sky Sports.

"I'm really proud of the boys," said opposite number Moeen Ali. "I felt we were 20 short (with the bat) but there is so much fight in the team and we kept saying 'get Hales and Clarke out and we've got a great chance'."

Joe Denly is opening the bowling for Kent as visitors Hampshire begin their pursuit of 177 for victory.

Captain James Vince and D'Arcy Short are opening the batting.

This is already shaping up to be a really interesting chase.

The key thing here for Somerset has been regular wickets - two for Josh Davey and one for Jack Brooks - but Essex are absolutely in it.

Paul Walter (18 not out) has just been joined by the experienced Ryan ten Doeschate at the crease following the recent loss of Michael Pepper for 18.