Kent’s superb start to the NatWest T20 Blast campaign came to a shuddering halt with a disappointing nine-wicket defeat to Gloucestershire on Friday night.

The Spitfires suffered a rare defeat at Beckenham as they were unable to deal with some sustained pressure from the visitors’ bowling attack, which bowled 46 dot balls from their 120 deliveries, and the hosts could only stutter to post 156/6 having won the toss.

Gloucestershire – who included former Kent and England man Geraint Jones in their side – produced a blistering start to the chase to get well-ahead of the required rate and then cruised through the remaining overs to inflict a second defeat on Kent in their sixth game.

They eventually crossed the line for the loss of just one wicket, with 16 balls to spare, after an unbroken century stand from skipper Michael Klinger and Ian Cockbain.

Kent did remain top of South Group as second-placed Hampshire were beaten by eight wickets by Somerset at Taunton.

After winning the toss, Kent chose to bat first and with Joe Denly missing out after suffering a side strain, England newcomer Sam Billings was promoted to open alongside Daniel Bell-Drummond.

The pair put on just six runs from the opening two overs, however the third yielded a six apiece and 19 runs in total as James Fuller was chased from the attack.

Billings added back-to-back sixes off David Payne as Kent were 52/0 from five overs, however with both looking well-set, he was stumped expertly by his former teammate and mentor Geraint Jones after dancing past one from Tom Smith. His 18-ball stay yielded 26 runs.

Gloucestershire came back strongly and strangled the run-rate, with 14 coming from the following four overs before Bell-Drummond holed out to Cockbain off Benny Howell for 31 to leave the hosts on 65/2.

Darren Stevens was unusually quiet when, facing six dot balls before getting off the mark and though the very next ball was dispatched for six to make it 81/2 at the mid-point, the all-rounder became Howell’s next victim, caught by Dent for eight in the 11th over.

The score of 82/3 became 84/4 just three balls later when Howell upped the pace to bowl in-form Northeast for 14 from 13 balls.

Fabian Cowdrey and Alex Blake claimed nine from Howell’s final over, with the spinner finishing with 3-18 from four overs.

The smothering bowling continued and the Spitfires were only 110/4 with five overs to come, though Cowdrey was given another life when James Fuller put down a simple chance off Taylor (0-29 from four) in the 16th over.

The pair rode their luck with some fortunate boundaries as Kent entered the final four overs, however their 48-run stand ended when Cowdrey picked out Fuller off Smith (2-22 off four) for a run-a-ball 23, to leave Kent 132/5 with 15 balls to come.

Blake (22) was caught on the ropes by Cockbain going for a maximum off Fuller (1-44) with 11 balls remaining and his side on 133, but Matt Coles smote a huge six, the eighth of the innings, to take Kent to 142/6 going into the final over.

Adam Ball hit five from the only two deliveries he faced, while Coles (18 not out) smashed the last ball for six to see his side to 156/6.

The visitors though began the reply in blistering fashion, 10 came from Coles’ opening over with Claydon seeing the second go for eight.

Skipper Michael Klinger clubbed 11 off Calum Haggett in the third, with a further five coming in wides with Billings standing up to the stumps.

It was 44 without loss from four overs but a ball after launching a huge six to bring up the Gloucestershire fifty from 28 balls, Hamish Marshall was trapped by Mitch Claydon for 19.

The runs continued to flow, however, with Australian Klinger looking in fine touch, with able support from Ian Cockbain, with both players reaching their half-century in just 37-balls.

Their unbroken partnership yielded 105 runs, with Klinger finishing unbeaten on 69 from 51 balls with seven fours and a six, while Cockbain cracked 54 not out from 38 deliveries.

Despite using seven bowlers in the opening 11 overs, Kent – missing injured bowlers James Tredwell and David Griffiths - could not stem the flow and Gloucestershire needed just 38 from the final seven overs and 13 from the last four as they eventually cruised to victory with 16 balls to spare.