Kent once again allowed a commanding position to slip to a frustrating defeat against Glamorgan at Canterbury on Sunday evening.

Having won the toss and then restricted the South Group leaders to a total of 199-2 - which looked like it might have been higher at one stage - at the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, the Spitfires were on track in the reply thanks to a blistering knock of 60 from 34 balls from skipper Sam Northeast, only to lose momentum after his departure and ended up falling well short.

As so often in this season's South Group, the top order did the damage for both teams, with the visitors arrived at Canterbury top of the table, though only three points ahead of seventh-placed Kent, who have a game in hand.

Glamorgan opener Aneurin Donald breezed to 50 from just 30 balls, bringing up his half-century with a pull off Calum Haggett, however he saw his middle stump uprooted by a slower ball from the very next delivery to leave his side on 88-1.

Jacques Rudolph had played a supporting role to that point - though still scoring at better than a run a ball - but upped the tempo after his opening partner departed to reach his half-century from 35 balls.

His new partner Colin Ingram slogged James Tredwell - who took 0-39 on his return in place of Imran Qayyum - for an almighty six towards the Sainsburys car park but departed for 11 soon after.

Ingram mistimed one off Coles into the sky and a dashing Daniel Bell-Drummond raced round to take a tough catch just inside the long-on rope to leave the visitors on 118-2 in the 13th over when a score of 200+ looked likely.

South African David Miller joined Rudolph and steadily amassed 43 from 26 balls - passing 5,000 T20 runs in the process - while his compatriot finished 77 not out from 52 balls as the visitors posted a total of 199-2 in the sunshine as Mitch Claydon (0-35) in particular stemmed the flow late-on, though Neesham conceded 14 and Claydon 19 off the final two overs.

Chasing 200, Joe Denly began the reply in breezy fashion with a six and a four off Michael Hogan but Bell-Drummond was cleaned up by just the third ball from 20-year-old debutant quick Lukas Carey to leave Kent 21-1 in the third over.

Northeast joined Denly to steady the ship and guide the hosts to 52-1 at the end of the six-over powerplay before finding his range with three fours and four sixes in a 28-ball half-century - his 16th in T20 cricket - which steered Kent to 93-1 at the midway point, well in touch of the required rate.

After a second-wicket stand of 89, Northeast eventually fell just short of the ropes, and into the hands of Hogan, off the bowling off Marchant de Lange, after cracking 60 from just 34 balls.

After allowing his captain to steal the limelight, the impetus fell on Denly and though his boundaries dried up, clobbered Graham Wagg for six on his way to a 36-ball half-century before Alex Blake (4) - batting ahead of James Neesham and Sam Billings - holed-out to Donald from the very next ball from Craig Meschede.

The Spitfires needed 11 an over from the final seven overs and at 125-3 the result remained in the balance but after Northeast's departure the reply lost momentum and Kent struggled to pick up boundaries from de Lange and Meschede.

The hosts needed 57 from the final four overs and 46 from the last 18 balls but when Denly departed for a fine 68 from 50 balls, pulling Wagg to Hogan on the midwicket boundary, the game was all but up with 41 still needed from the final two overs.

Neesham finished with 27* from 21 balls and Billings ended with 4* from the five he faced before Kent closed on 174-4.

They return to action against Hampshire on Tuesday night.