A polished 86 from Jacques Rudolph and a furious half-century from Inzamam-ul-Haq still could not prevent Yorkshire Phoenix from losing by 13 runs to Kent Spitfires in the NatWest Pro40 League at Canterbury yesterday.

The defeat ended Yorkshire's chances of climbing out of the Second Division and was a disappointing way to finish their away programme this season.

A 229 target looked well within Yorkshire's reach as Rudolph and Inzamam piled up 63 together off ten overs to leave them to make a further 60 off nine overs with seven wickets in hand.

But then Inzamam fell for 53 to the first ball of Martin van Jaarsveld's second spell and Yorkshire were unable to push on at the required rate in the face of good bowling and tight fielding.

This was Inzamam's only significant score since joining Yorkshire last month and a fantastic display of big hitting rushed him to his 50 off only 26 balls with five sixes and one four.

He drove his very first ball for six off James Tredwell and went on to plunder three consecutive sixes off medium-pacer, Alex Blake, as well as just clearing the rope against Martin Saggers, who bowled splendidly to capture three for 21 off his eight overs.

With Inzamam's departure, however, Yorkshire became tied down and it was Saggers who dealt two fatal blows in one over by coming back to bowl Rudolph and have Tim Bresnan caught at mid-on, Rudolph facing 107 balls and stroking eight boundaries.

Kent's early batsmen gave their innings real impetus and the final total would have been much higher than 228 for nine had later wickets not fallen to some indiscreet shots.

At 156 for two in 26 overs, a big score appeared on the cards but seven wickets were lost in the remaining 14 overs while 72 were being added, Richard Pyrah finishing with three for 50 while Darren Gough and David Wainwright each claimed two victims.

The young and talented Joe Denly and skipper Rob Key got Kent off to a cracking start with a 74 stand in 14 overs, Denly striking the first ball of the match from Matthew Hoggard for four and soon afterwards marching down the pitch to drive the England paceman over long on for six.

When Bresnan replaced Gough his first ball was picked up for six by Key and it came as a relief to Yorkshire when Denly skied the same bowler high to mid-wicket, where Rudolph took a well- judged catch. Denly's 36 contained six fours and a six and came off 56 balls.

Key got a thick edge off Pyrah's second ball for Anthony McGrath to hold on to a marvellous diving catch dashing in from third man but both Simon Cook and van Jaarsveld smacked sixes in a 66 stand in eight overs for the third wicket.

Both batsmen then perished in separate spells from Wainwright as Cook fell lbw for 49 and van Jaarsveld just had time to complete his half-century before being lured down the pitch and stumped.

Kent's victory kept alive their promotion hopes, but Yorkshire's third consecutive defeat left them with no hope of going up.