A rain-affected game saw Kent Spitfires suffer a 13-run T20 Vitality Blast defeat to Glamorgan in front of the television cameras at Canterbury on Tuesday night.
Glamorgan made 145-6 from 13 overs with Australian Test star Marnus Labuschagne blasting an unbeaten 50 off 26 balls before the spinner claimed economical figures of 1-14.
Spitfires skipper Sam Billings hit 33 from 17 balls but Kent were always struggling to keep up with a run-rate of more than 11-an-over.
Two wickets from Timm van der Gugten in the 11th over extinguished the Spitfires’ already slim hopes.
Neither side stood a chance of qualifying for the quarter-finals and torrential rain delayed the start until 8pm, with the game reduced.
The visitors were asked to bat and attacked from the outset.
Kiran Carlson ramped Australian overseas bowler Tom Rogers (0-26) for an outrageous six and Will Smale hit a rapid 18 from eight balls, only for a cluster of wickets to temporarily slow the run-rate.
Smale skied Nathan Gilchrist (2-21) to Rogers at mid-off and Tom Bevan was run-out for three after Carlson was hit by Rogers: he’d almost reached the striker’s end before realising his partner was doubled up with pain, allowing the bowler to run him out with a direct hit.
Marcus O’Riordan (1-22) claimed a wicket with his first ball when Carlson went for 18, caught at backward square-leg by Rogers.
At that point, it was 52-3 but Labuschagne and Colin Ingram countered with a stand of 54 that ended when Joey Evison (1-11) had the latter caught by Rogers for 26 from 13 balls.
Chris Cooke went for six, driving Gilchrist to Jack Leaning at long-off and Ben Kellaway was run-out by Rogers and an off-balance Billings for three but Labuschagne scrambled his way to a half-century in the final over.
Kent’s Blast campaign has been so grim that this – frankly – looked like the sort of target they’d struggle to chase with 20 overs to play with.
They took 12 from a promising first over but lost Tawanda Muyeye for seven, caught behind off Dan Douthwaite (1-22).
O’Riordan should have gone for a duck in the same over and, although Andy Gorvin dropped an absolute dolly at mid-wicket, he failed to cash in.
Mason Crane (1-35) claimed the prize wicket of Daniel Bell-Drummond for 27, caught by Kellaway at the cow corner boundary, before Labuschagne bowled O’Riordan for nine off 14 balls.
Billings hit Crane for a six which landed on the roof of the Cowdrey stand and Smale dropped Jack Leaning when he holed out to Labuschagne when he was on nine, but Glamorgan’s economy meant the rate spiralled out of control.
Kent needed 54 from the final three overs and the pressure forced Billings into an ugly shot, chipping van der Gugten (2-26) to Carlson at cover. Van der Gugten then had Leaning caught by Kellaway at deep square for 11 and, although Rogers had some fun, his unbeaten 31 from 12 begged the question why he hadn’t batted higher up the order.
Spitfires needed an improbable 29 from Douthwaite’s last over but only managed 15 and the defeat guarantees the 2021 champions will finish bottom of the South group.
Rogers reflected: “Again, we probably had a couple of good individual performances.
“There were a couple of things that we wanted to work on from the last game (a heavy loss to Sussex Sharks) with our fielding – specifically at our home ground – we wanted to cut down the twos that the lads in the last game ran us around with. We fielded quite bravely, took some good catches and fielding really well tonight.
“Unfortunately, we probably just got outdone with the bat and the ball, the two other facets of the game.”
On how the atmosphere is within the dressing room despite Kent’s dismal T20 displays, he said: “I think credit to the fellas, they’re some lovely individuals there, who are still doing themselves and the club proud by putting their best foot forward – in the training paddock in between games and in games.
“Hopefully, some performances start to come their way, as well.
“The guys are doing their best. They’re helping their mates so, from that point of view, it’s been a really nice changing room to walk into.”
Kent finish their T20 Blast campaign against Surrey at Canterbury on Friday night.
