KENT’S one-day season finished in disarray last night when they slid to a dismal 79-run defeat to Yorkshire Phoenix.

Set to chase a daunting 300 for victory, Spitfires crashed to their eighth defeat of their title defence by losing their last six wickets for just 49 runs.

There were steady contributions throughout the Kent order with Ed Smith top-scoring with 43, Steve Waugh (37), Mark Ealham (35), Matt Walker (27) and Alex Loudon (21) all showed glimpses without going on.

Rookie spinner Andy Gray proved their nemesis, clinching competition-best figures of four for 34 while Anthony McGrath followed an excellent innings with a tidy spell of medium-pace to bag three for 39 as the Spitfires’ tailed off.

"It was one game too far for the boys," said captain Matthew Fleming afterwards. "They put in a huge performance to win the championship match here only to watch Warwickshire chase 400 on Ceefax to nick second place was a bit of a downer.

"It wasn’t the best way to end a career, but mentally I left all my emotions behind last week when I had my farewell at Canterbury last week. I think subconsciously we switched off in this competition and started concentrating on the championship once we lost to Worcester.

"At least we’ve had an opportunity to look at Geraint Jones and Alex Loudon to see what they’re capable of and they are plus points.

Geraint will be a central part of our cricket next year and Alex is the sort of man we need to play in every one-day game next summer.

"His fielding is outstanding and he’s shown he’s got the head to cope with the pressure when batting."

Yorkshire’s total had been built around three partnerships the last of which, an unbroken fourth-wicket stand worth 198 between Elliott (115) and McGrath (85) was a Yorkshire fourth-wicket record and their second highest ever ion the league.

The Tykes were given a decent start when openers Michael Lumb and Craig White posted 58 inside 10 overs before Ealham struck with his second ball of the match.

Replacing the expensive David Masters at The Football Stand End, Ealham held on to a stinging Lumb drive and then, in his next over, sent back White for a cameo 19 to a regulation slip catch by James Tredwell.

Home skipper Blakey then teamed up with Elliott to add a further 32 before Ealham had the former caught behind by Nixon.

The Kent gloveman endured a disappointing farewell performance, however, and his missed stumping off Ealham gifted Elliott a life when on 12 and led to the Australian’s mammoth stand with McGrath.

Clubbing 11 fours and a brace of sixes, Elliott paced his 100-ball innings superbly and allowed McGrath to take the greater risks in scoring his 85 from 74 balls.

The burly right-hander from Bradford hit three sixes in Ealham’s penultimate over, one of which was parried over the ropes by Jones, as Yorkshire posted their second-best total of the campaign.

It was to prove more than enough against a Kent side who appear to have rediscovered their propensity for bottling it when chasing totals in limited overs matches.

A disappointing end to a disappointing title defence and a sad way for skipper Fleming, keeper Nixon and overseas star Waugh to end their Kent careers.