Kent win run chase to head clear

COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION TWO, Canterbury:
CLOSE OF PLAY, FINAL DAY: Kent 517 and 200-4 beat Surrey 423 and 293 by six wickets (Kent 22pts, Surrey 7pts)

Match scorecard

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Kent stretched further clear at the top of Division Two with a final-day, six-wicket win against bottom club Surrey at Canterbury.

Without Mark Ramprakash, it did not look good for the visitors when they resumed on their overnight 148-5.

But Stuart Meaker's unbeaten 64, backed by Tim Linley (36), helped them reach 293 all out, to set Kent 200 to win.

Led by captain Rob Key (50) and Geraint Jones (45), leaders Kent got home in 35 overs on 200-4 to go 28 points clear.

Surrey's seven bonus points were enough to lift them back above Middlesex to seventh in the Division Two table.

But, despite the rearguard effort led by Meaker in making Kent battle for their runs, the home side's seventh win of the campaign still came in some comfort with three overs to spare.

Kent cantered home to a maximum-points victory thanks to Key's 54-ball half-century and cameo knocks from first innings century-makers Jones and Darren Stevens (35 not out).

The hosts were given a flying start with an opening stand worth 90 in 15 overs between Key and rookie right-hander Sam Northeast, who contributed a valuable 28 with four fours.

They both went in the space of four balls, followed by Martin van Jaarsveld, whose brisk 19 ended when he edged onto his pad to spoon a catch to leg slip.

But Jones, who in the process reached 1,000 first-class runs in a season for the first time in his career, and Stevens added 55 in 10 overs.

With 15 needed, Jones danced down the pitch to miss one from occasional spinner Usman Afzaal to be stumped for a run-a-ball 45. But Stevens and Justin Kemp steered Kent, who also have a game in hand on second-placed Essex, over the finish line.