A CENTURY from former Pakistan all-rounder Azhar Mahmood sent Gloucestershire crashing to their fifth defeat from six Friends Provident t20 games against Kent.

Mahmood struck 106 not out off 57 balls as the hosts reached their target of 167 with eight wickets in hand and five balls remaining.

Gloucestershire made a great start, with Hamish Marshall hitting 47 and Kevin O’Brien scoring 34 in an opening partnership of 77, but they lost their way as left-arm seamer Wahab Riaz took 5-17 off three overs, which included a hat-trick with Chris Taylor, Ed Young and Richard Coughtrie being the victims.

Alex Gidman struck two sixes in his score of 28 off 16 balls, but Gloucestershire were all out for 166 at the end of their 20 overs.

David Payne had Rob Key (5) caught by Marshall early on, but Joe Denly put on 135 with Mahmood before he was also caught by Marshall, this time off the bowling of Muttiah Muralitharan for 50, and there were no further alarms in Kent’s successful reply.

Gloucestershire lie one place off the bottom in the South group.