KENT were out-classed in all departments as reigning Norwich Union League champions Glamorgan eased to a seven-wicket win at sunny Sophia Gardens.

Last season this clash in Cardiff proved a tight affair as the 2001 and 2002 champions fought every ball of a day that ended with a tie, but this time around it was a no-contest as Spitfires misfired and got the basics all wrong.

Their batsmen struggled for boundaries and timing on a slow pitch, the bowlers failed to bowl a good length or on one side of the wicket, while their fielding was downright shoddy as four chances and a couple of run outs went begging.

It was a mystifyingly slipshod performance, particularly as it followed last Sunday’s sharp and victorious start to the NUL campaign at home to Leicestershire. Yet eight days on, Kent were never at the races.

Having won the toss Kent’s acting captain Mark Ealham elected to bat, knowing this would be a slow pitch that, in all probability, would get not better. He was right in that assumption but even so, Kent’s 45-over total of 192 for nine was 30, maybe even 50 short of a defendable target.

Ealham’s pinch-hitting role was soon confined to history after he ran down the pitch in a bid to drive Andrew Davies and succeeded in yorking himself and losing off stump.

Sensibly the visitors re-grouped through Ed Smith (33) and Rob Key who posted 80 for the second wicket before Glamorgan tightened their grip on the game with introduction of spin at both ends.

With off-spinner Robert Croft at the River End working in tandem with left-armer Dean Cosker from the Cathedral Road, Kent had trouble getting the ball off the square let alone hitting boundaries.

Smith went leg before to a Cosker shooter, Greg Blewett (13) to a lofted sweep to long leg while Matthew Walker (2) played across a late-dipping half volley from Croft.

Peter Trego (3) lamely hung his bat out to dry against Croft’s arm ball then Key, after hitting 68 from 93 balls, drove loosely to long-off and gave Croft three for 33 while Cosker finished with two for 30.

A cameo 31 from Geraint Jones, who was easily Kent’s man of the day, was still insufficient to see Spitfires past 200 as Michael Kasprowicz and new-ball partner Davies returned to bag two apiece.

Kent needed early wickets if they were to apply any pressure on the Dragons reply and Martin Saggers duly obliged by trapping Ian Thomas leg before in his second over.

But that was about as good as it got for Kent.

Croft and Michael Powell both enjoyed lives on 13 after Blewett dropped chances off Trott and Ealham respectively allowing the hosts to add 108 for the second wicket inside 19 overs.

Both second wicket partners went on to score half-centuries, by which time the result was beyond doubt. Tredwell finally accounted for Croft (59) when Trego caught one on the deep cover boundary, then Trego sent back Powell (58) courtesy of an excellent stumping by Jones from a leg-side wide.

With his score on one Matthew Maynard also received a chance from the benevolent Spitfires when Tredwell downed a slip catch, an opportunity that hurt all the more when Maynard spanked the young Kent spinner back over his head for a six that ended in the river Taff.

It just about summed up the day for Spitfires – up the river, without a paddle and floating aimlessly to defeat with 52 balls of the match remaining.