Labuschagne subjects Kent to South Group’s wooden spoon

Glamorgan 145 for 6 (Labuschagne 50*) beat Kent 132 for 5 (Billings 33, Rogers 31*) by 13 runs

Marnus Labuschagne starred with bat and ball as Glamorgan eased to a 13-run victory over the Kent Spitfires in a rain-shortened dead-rubber at Canterbury.

After the weather delayed the start, Glamorgan made 145 for 6 from their 13 overs, with Labuschagne blasting an unbeaten 50 from 26 balls, before claiming an economical 1 for 14 from his two overs.

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 and they finished on 132 for 5.

Neither side stood a chance of qualifying for the quarter-finals and torrential rain delayed the start until 8pm, with the game reduced to 13 overs per side.

The visitors were asked to bat and attacked from the outset. Kiran Carlson ramped Tom Rogers for an outrageous six and Will Smale hit a rapid 18 from eight, before a cluster of wickets temporarily slowed the run rate. Smale miscued Nathan Gilchrist to Tom Rogers at mid-off and Tom Bevan was run out for 3 after Carlson was hit amidships by Rogers: he had 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 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 for 3 but Labuschagne and Colin Ingram countered with a stand of 54 that ended when Joey Evison had Ingram caught by Rogers for 26 from 13 balls.

Chris Cooke went for 6, driving Gilchrist to Jack Leaning at long-off and Ben Kellaway was run out by Rogers and an off-balance Billings for 3, but Labuschagne scrambled his way to a half-century in the final over.

Kent’s Blast campaign has been so grim that this 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 7, caught behind off Dan Douthwaite.

O’Riordan should have gone for a duck in the same over and although Andy Gorvin dropped an absolute dolly at midwicket, he failed to cash in. Mason Crane claimed the prize wicket of Daniel Bell-Drummond for 27, caught by Kellaway at the cow-corner boundary before Labuschagne bowled O’Riordan for 9 off 14.

Billings hit Crane for a six that landed on the roof of the Cowdrey Stand and Smale dropped Jack Leaning when he holed out off Labuschagne on 9, but Glamorgan’s economical bowling 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 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.

Kent 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.