Kent endured a miserable night in Cardiff with a thumping defeat to Glamorgan to lose further ground in NatWest T20 Blast on Friday night.

Dale Steyn was the star for the hosts with a superb 4-18 in a rain-shortened game as the Spitfires were bowled out for just 121 chasing a mammoth total of 175-4 - a 55 run defeat under Duckworth Lewis.

For a change Kent won the toss in a rain-hit South Group clash at Sophia Gardens, however despite good work from Mitch Claydon the hosts piled on the runs in their allotted 16 overs.

David Lloyd smashed 97 not out from just 49 balls and South African Colin Ingram picking up where he left of last Sunday as he inspired Glamorgan to 50-over victory at Canterbury, clubbing 60 from just 29 balls.

Both players cleared the rope four times apiece and they combined for 16 fours as their 9.3 overs together yielded 132 runs for the second wicket - a record for the club against Kent, as was Lloyd's haul.

James Tredwell (1-21 off two) did stem the tide, having Ingram caught by Blake, before catching Chris Cooke (2) himself 11 balls later off David Griffiths (1-44 off four).

However Lloyd's onslaught continued and only a fine last over from Claydon, which saw him bowl Aneurin Donald for one and restrict the hosts to just five runs to post a total of 175-4.

Claydon was the pick of the Spitfires attack having earlier accounted for Jacques Rudolph (8) before the fireworks to finish with a respectable 2-27 off three overs. Matt Coles (0-24 off three) was the only bowler with better economy.

With a target of 177, the reply began slowly, in contrast to blistering opening bowler Dale Steyn who had in-form Daniel Bell-Drummond caught by Lloyd for a four-ball duck, with a single run on the board.

In his second over South African Steyn accounted for skipper Sam Northeast, bowled for 11, with the score on 17 from 16 balls.

It was 27-3 midway through the fifth over when Steyn again struck, having Sam Billings caught by Michael Hogan for one.

Joe Denly hit a four and a six but he holed out to Ingram off Hogan after hitting 23 from 17 balls to leave Kent 44-4 from 6.2 overs.

With Darren Stevens and Alex Blake in the middle the Spitfires still had hope but at 61-4 at the midway point chasing a Duckworth Lewis revised target of 177 they had it all to do.

Each man took Graham Wagg for six and they added 38 to the score in just 27 balls but when Stevens was bowled by Timm van der Gugten for 13 with 31 balls to come and Kent still 95 short the writing was on the wall.

Fabian Cowdrey followed him back next ball after being trapped LBW to leave Kent 83-6 and Blake (30 from 25 balls) was caught by Wagg off Ingram in the next over to make it 87-7.

Coles and Tredwell rekindled their chemistry from Wednesday's defeat to Essex by adding 32 from just 16 balls but Tredwell (5) became Steyn's fourth scalp as he finished with 4-18 off four.

Kent were 118-8 with nine balls remaining and though Coles was in swashbuckling form not even he was capable of delivering a miracle and he fell two balls from the end for 31 from 17, caught by Ingram off Hogan.

Hogan duly bowled Claydon from the penultimate ball to finish on a hat-trick, just like teammate van der Gugten, as Kent fell 54 runs short.

It was a fourth defeat in six group games for Kent leaving them seventh in the South Group and needing two wins to close on the top four.

They are back in red-ball action at Glamorgan from Sunday (11am).