Despite a valiant effort by Kent spinner James Tredwell, Kent lost this LV County Championship match at The Oval by six wickets mainly thanks to their second innings showing of 99 on Day Three.

Needing quick wickets for the concession of few runs, Tredwell had a hand in all four wickets to fall taking 3/61 and a catch however it wasn’t to be as the game was wrapped up in one session.

Surrey opener Rory Burns looked good and showed positive intent whilst Kent’s required inroads took hold at the other end as Kumar Sangakkara advanced down the wicket to Kent and England’s spinner but in missing it presented a simple stumping for Sam Billings (1, 26/2)

Just shy of the hour mark Surrey brought up their fifty with opener Burns looking unmoveable however with Surrey moving to within fifty of their target, Tredwell struck again as Burns, looking to sweep, missed it with the middle stump left lying on the ground (46, 81/3)

Kent introduced Joe Denly for a bowling cameo and it almost immediately paid off as a Ben Foakes’ drive to extra cover was well fielded by Adam Ball who’s shy at the stumps saw a direct hit at the non-strikers end – but Arun Harinath was in his ground – nonetheless great fielding by the Kent man.

Foakes looked in a mood to end the game quickly as he struck Denly for six over mid-wicket whilst Harinath’s single shortly after brought up the hundred for the hosts.

Returning to bowl, Foakes casually and inadvertently chipped Stevens towards short mid-off but with no fielder there, the batsman got away with one.

With a result potentially not far away the umpires elected to play on rather than take lunch with Foakes and Harinath taking the opportunities for runs regularly.

However Harinath was unable to see the game home as Tredwell took a fine low catch at leg-slip off the bowling of Denly (14, 115/4).

Foakes then went big to reach his fifty – Striking Tredwell for six and to within four runs of victory, then taking a further two through the on-side to bring the scores level.

And with Tredwell’s next over the game came to an end as Jason Roy struck a four through the off-side giving the hosts victory.

Kent’s next four-day comes on Sunday against Essex at Tunbridge Wells but first Kent will face Glamorgan in a sell-out at The Nevill Ground in the T20 – a competition they are of course faring better in having already qualified for the quarter-finals and a home tie.

 

Surrey: ZS Ansari, RJ Burns, A Harinath, KC Sangakkara, DP Sibley, JJ Roy, BT Foakes†, JE Burke, GJ Batty*, TK Curran, SM Curran

Kent: DJ Bell-Drummond, JL Denly, SA Northeast*, BW Harmison, DI Stevens, SW Billings†, AJ Ball, CJ Haggett, JC Tredwell, MT Coles, MD Hunn

 

Kent:

1^st Innings: 336 (Billings 99, Haggett 80, Northeast 45; S. Curran 5/101, T. Curran 3/75)

2^nd Innings: 99 (Northeast 33; Batty 4/12, S. Curran 3/19, Ansari 2/19)

 

Surrey:

1^st Innings: 311 (Sangakkara 110, Harinath 76; Stevens 4/76, Hunn 3/51)

2^nd Innings: 128/4 (Foakes 57no, Burns 46; Tredwell 3/61)

 

Surrey: 22pts

Kent: 6pts