Kent win despite Dexter heroics

COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION TWO, Uxbridge:
Kent 652-7 dec and 36-0 beat Middlesex 356 and 326 by 10 wickets (Kent 22pts, Middlesex 5pts)

Match scorecard

Dexter's scored 264 of Middlesex's runs during the match

Neil Dexter hit his second century of the game but could not prevent Kent beating Middlesex by 10 wickets.

Middlesex resumed the final day at Uxbridge on 89-3 in their second innings, needing 207 more to make Kent bat again.

But despite Dexter (118) and Dawid Malan (80) sharing 202 for the fourth wicket they were bowled out for 326.

Rob Key and Sam Northeast knocked off the runs Kent needed in 5.1 overs to leave them on the brink of promotion.

Although mathematically Northants, Essex and Glamorgan can all overhaul Kent at the top of the table, Rob Key's men only need to take maximum batting and bowling bonus points when lowly Leicestershire visit Canterbury next week to secure the Division Two title.

At one stage it seemed as though Middlesex might save the game while Dexter and Malan were together. But, after Dexter was undone by the spin of James Tredwell, the home side lost their final seven wickets for 91.

Indeed it was spin that proved Middlesex's downfall as Tredwell (3-82) and Rob Ferley (3-73) claimed six of those final seven wickets, the one exception being last man Steven Finn, who was run out.

That left Kent needing just 31 to win, Key hitting Dan Housego for six to see them over the finishing line.

Middlesex's five points from the game do at least lift them off the bottom of the County Championship.

They are now three points clear of Leicestershire, who prop up Division Two.

Kent captain Rob Key told BBC Radio Kent:

"That's one of the toughest wins of the year because it was a flat, flat track.

"It was good the wicket showed some turn because it meant our spinners could bowl close to 100 overs between them and our fast bowlers haven't had to do too much work."