Australia test star Marnus Labuschagne starred with bat and ball as Glamorgan eased to a 13-run victory over the Kent Spitfires in the Vitality Blast at Canterbury.

In a rain affected game Glamorgan made 145 for six from 13 overs, with Labuschagne blasting an unbeaten 50 from 26 balls, before claiming an economical 1 for 14.

Sam Billings hit 33 from 17 balls but Kent were always struggling to keep up with a run rate of over 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 five.

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 skyed Nathan Gilchrist to Tom Rogers at mid-off and Tom Bevan was run out for three after Carlson was hit amidships 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 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 three but Labuschagne and Colin Ingram countered with a stand of 54 that ended when Joey Evison had the latter caught by Rogers for 26 from 13 balls.

Chris Cooke went for six, driving Gilchrist 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.

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 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.

Billings hit Crane for a six that landed on the roof of the Cowdrey stand and Smale dropped Jack Leaning when he holed out 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 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.

Glamorgan’s Marnus Labuschagne said: “The openers got us off to flyer and we came off the back of their momentum. For me I just want to bring all three of my skill sets to the game, my fielding, my batting and my bowling.

“I always want to be able to contribute. When one’s not on I want to be able to use the other two facets of my game to help the team win games, so that’s how I want to set up my T20 game but unfortunately it’s all about winning games as a team and unfortunately we haven’t done that enough this year.

“Hopefully we can all learn from the experiences we’ve had this year and come back next year and finish much better. Credit to the bowlers, the ball was slippery and skidding off and they just played the percentages really well, used the big side, Andy Gorvin was really good and Dan Douthwaite finished it off.”

Glamorgan’s Kiran Carlson said: “There were really tough conditions out there and obviously in a shortened game I feel like when you bat first the chasing side are always in it, especially with relatively short boundaries and a really quick outfield so I’m really proud of the lads for putting in a good performance and defending that score.

“We played a ten over game last week and ended up being a little bit short. We maybe went a bit too hard too early so we kind of knew that we had to assess and see what a good score would be, but still be brave. I think Will Smale batted really well at the top of the order and then Marnus through the middle.

“It allowed us to get a score that was probably around par or just over at the end and that was really pleasing. It was an absolute nightmare with the ball, it was soaking wet and the it seemed as though everything that was going in the gap went for four. The bowlers have their plans and they’ve been doing a great job all year. They’ve had their backs against the wall defending some low scores and they’ve done a really good job. Today just so showed that even if the conditions aren’t good and it’s not spinning we still found a way. I think Andy Gorvin bowled beautifully through the middle as well as Marnus and I’m really pleased with it.”

Kent’s Tom Rogers said: “We probably had a couple of good individual performances, there were a couple of things we wanted to work on from the last game with our fielding and specifically at our home ground with the dimensions we’ve got here. We wanted to cut down on the twos, so fielded quite bravely and took some good catches. Unfortunately we just got outdone with bat and ball, the two other facets of the game.

“Nathan Gilchrist has put some good performances on in the powerplay, which from talking to a few of the guys is something he’s always done, but what’s been impressive and something he’s probably pretty stoked about on the inside is his performances at the death, he’s been brave and bowled some good change ups.

“The guys are doing their best, they’re helping their mates out so from that point of view it’s been a really nice changing room to walk into, really welcoming. I think one great thing about coming to new clubs is you’ve all of a sudden got 20 mates so it’s been great getting to know those young fellas first and foremost.

“I’ve absolutely loved it. It’s something I’ve wanted to tick off for a long time, playing in this competition and it’s just fantastic to be here, I’ve got no other way to put it. It’s always nice to score runs mate.

(Will he come back next year?) Ah mate, I’d play for free! It’s so much fun. Hopefully we can keep putting some performances on the board and get some results, but it’s the results we really want.”