Kent stretch their lead

Leaders Kent strengthened their claims for promotion from Division Two of the LV= County Championship with a successful run-chase against Surrey at Canterbury.

The home side secured their seventh win of the campaign with six wickets in hand and three overs to spare.

Surrey doggedly batted on until 3pm in reaching 293, setting Kent a victory target of 200 from the remaining 48 overs of the match.

Kent cantered home to a maximum-points victory courtesy of Rob Key's 54-ball half-century and cameos from first innings centurions Geraint Jones and Darren Stevens.

The hosts were given a flying start to their pursuit with an opening stand worth 90 in 15 overs between Key and 19-year-old Sam Northeast, who contributed 28.

Northeast clipped Stuart Meaker firmly to midwicket, and three balls later Key was unlucky to fall leg before to a delivery from the same bowler which kept low.

Rob Key hit a rapid half-century to provide the early impetus to Kent's successful pursuit of 200 for victory

Kent maintained their momentum, although Martin van Jaarsveld's brisk 19 ended when he edged on to his pad off Matt Spriegel, to spoon a catch to Pedro Collins, diving forward at short fine-leg.

Jones and Stevens added 55 in 10 overs and in the process Jones, enjoying a renaissance season batting at number three, reached 1,000 first-class runs in a season for the first time in his career.

The former England wicketkeeper enjoyed a stroke of luck on 31 as Meaker juggled and spilled a running chance at deep backward square-leg, but Jones failed to make the most of the let-off.

With Kent within 15 of their target, Jones danced down the pitch, only to miss a delivery from occasional spinner Usman Afzaal to be stumped for a run-a-ball 45.

Stevens , who finished 35, and Justin Kemp steered Kent over the finish line for a 22-point haul, giving them a 29-point lead at the top with a game in hand over second-placed Essex.

Surrey, who avoided falling to the bottom of the table after picking up seven points in defeat, batted stoically today and made Kent work hard for the four remaining wickets.

They lost Chris Schofield for 36 in the seventh over of the day when the left-hander had his off stump clipped by a leg-cutter, and just before lunch Jade Dernbach's resistance ended when he spooned a lifter from Kemp to backward point.

Tim Linley, with 36, dug in to add 67 in 28 overs with Meaker for the eighth wicket until James Tredwell took a sharp, throat-high chance at third slip courtesy of an edged Linley drive off Amjad Khan.

Collins miscued a slog to mid-off to leave Meaker unbeaten on 64 after four hours at the crease.

Khan finished with 3-49 and eight wickets in the match, while Tredwell claimed 3-72 and debutant Phil Edwards a creditable 2-52.