Skipper Sam Billings says the Kent Spitfires players need to be held to account for their poor run of form.

Billings aside, Spitfires failed to sparkle in front of a bumper crowd at Canterbury last Friday when they fell to a fifth successive Vitality Blast defeat, by five wickets to Essex.

There were shortcomings with bat and ball while the fielding was well below-par as Spitfires were blown away by the visitors.

“It's just not good enough, let’s be honest,” bemoaned Billings. “We’ve played enough cricket.

“We keep on putting it on a length, we look at every single game, people are hitting way more sixes than us because we simply don’t get given those balls to hit and we’re giving other teams more opportunities to hit sixes.

“We talk about lengths every single game, individually, collectively, as a plan but it either comes down to mentality or lack of skill. Simple as that.

“I don’t want to stand here and slate anyone individually, no one’s meaning to bowl like that but we’re so far off at the moment, that’s the crux of it.”

Nathan Gilchrist is clearly a wicket-taker but bowls too many loose balls while not one bowler has an economy rate below eight. Matt Parkinson is the leading wicket-taker with 11 at 17 apiece and the best economy rate of 8.01.

But when every bowler was being hit to all parts of the St Lawrence ground last Friday, Billings was asked where he turns as skipper in that situation.

He responded: “Overseas players, no one means to bowl poorly, I think Xavier Bartlett has been absolutely outstanding and we’ve got a very inexperienced bowling unit apart from Matt Parkinson.

“It’s trying to give the onus on those overseas players or more experienced heads, someone like a Nathan Gilchrist it’s only his fourth game of T20 cricket - he’s learning and he’s going to be a brilliant prospect for us.

“You don’t lose sleep over guys like that, it’s probably the guys who have a bit more nous about them, that are just missing their straps consistently which is a bit more frustrating, but no one means to do it.

“As a captain you can only do so much, I can’t bowl for people, I can’t bat for people, you just try to create an environment as positive as possible to allow people to do what they do. There has to be an accountability and responsibility on people at the end of the day.”

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With the bat, Billings looked in sparkling form as he raced to 38 before attempting one big shot too many.

The audible groans of the home supporters while the ball was in the air were a clear indication that so much has rested on his shoulders in the T20 campaign.

“I’m playing as well as I have done in a Kent shirt for a long time,” reflected Billings.

“I’m really pleased with how I’m hitting the ball, my mentality around it as well, a really clear mind and back to what I do best. It’s just a shame we haven’t managed to get a few more wins.

“The most frustrating thing is we started off so well in this competition and without sounding condescending to anyone, you realise the games that have really frustrated me are Hampshire and Middlesex - they’re the ones.

“I know at some point in a 14-game season you’re going to have a run like we are now. You’ve got to make the most of those opportunities when you’re playing well as a side otherwise it can really bite you and that’s what we’ve found now.

“That’s the biggest frustration, we haven’t done it anywhere as close as a team unit as we need to, and what we can do.

“The lads are devastated as well. It’s not like anyone is jumping around really happy about it. They are putting in, I just think the frustration from a few people is we’re eight games in and the little things - we’re slow with the overs and people are still trying to work out where to go.

“We’re eight games in, lads, you’ve got to switch on and be on it. That’s probably a barometer of where people are at, teams are coming so hard at us and you lose your awareness a little bit.

“It’s frustrating, of course it is, and the lads are gutted.”