Nine wickets in the game from Darren Stevens helped Kent to an 89 run win against Surrey in the County Championship at Guildford.

The 38 year old all-rounder turned back the clock to skittle the home side deep into the fourth day to give Rob Key’s side another morale boosting victory in the Division Two.

The day had started with Kent on 229 for 6, leading Surrey by 239 runs and the game evenly poised. Resuming with Sam Billings and Calum Haggett at the crease, Kent were to go on and set a victory target of 303 runs.

Billings and Haggett were to add 87 valuable runs for the seventh wicket with the latter eventually for a career equalling best 44 when a sharp ball from Stuart Meaker saw the Kent man fend it to Rory Burns behind.

That gave Meaker his fifth wicket of the innings and the Surrey fast bowler sensed there were wickets for the taking with Mitchell Claydon in at nine and keen to push the scoring rate on.

Claydon was to score just six before edging Meaker through to Vikram Solanki at first slip to give the seamer his tenth wicket of the game.

Stiff resistance from Sam Billings saw the Kent wicketkeeper go past fifty, but he was to lose his two remaining partners for nought, Charlie Hartley picking out Dunn in the gully off Linley and Adam Riley was the last man out edging Meaker to Jason Roy at second slip.

That saw Kent close on 292 setting the home side a stiff victory target of 303 to win.

Kent made the perfect start before the lunch interval with the ball in their hands. Claydon was to dismiss Burns for 11 as he fended one through to the grateful gloves of Sam Billings.

Zafar Ansari (8) wasn’t to last too long either as Calum Haggett found the inside egde of his bat and Billings took a great low catch down the leg side leaving Surrey in trouble at 24 for 2.

Kent started where they left off after the lunch interval with Haggett getting Vikram Solanki to fend a sharp ball to Ben Harmison in the gully for 13 leaving Surrey 49 for 3.

Runs were to come quickly for Surrey with Steve Davies and Tillakaratne Dilshan at the crease, smashing the Kent attack around for a while, but they were to get their revenge with the score on 82 when Davies nicked through to Riley for 25 off Claydon.

It was soon to be 120 for 5 with Surrey still intent on pushing the ball around to all parts with Roy lbw to Claydon for 13.

The prized wicket of Dilshan came with the Sri Lankan batsman on 68 as he slashed at a ball from Darren Stevens to Riley at slip. In truth, it was a ball he could well have left alone and having got to fifty in just 36 balls, should have settled to knock the ball around more.

Stevens was to go on and pick up the remaining four Surrey wickets as Kent made the home side pay in the sunshine.

Gary Wilson was the first to go, falling for 27 as he picked out Sam Northeast in the gully. Stuart Meaker was to fall shortly after tea for 14 as he nicked through to Billings and the writing was on the wall when Gareth Batty edged to Riley at slip for 15.

The final nail in the coffin came with Linley finally falling for 4 off 35 balls when Stevens got the Surrey bowler to edge him to Harmison in the slips.

With the wicket came great celebrations from the Kent side who took maximum points from the game, giving Stevens figures of 5 for 68 and nine in the match.

Kent will now put their feet up on Thursday before returning to T20 action on Friday night for their last group game against Surrey at Canterbury.

On this showing, they will be more than happy to face their local rivals.

Result: Surrey vs. Kent, LV=County Championship Division Two, Woodbridge Road, Guildford, 20-23 July 2014:

Kent 292 (Key 59, Billings 57*, Nash 51; Meaker 7-90) and 408 (Northeast 91, Billings 82 not out; Meaker 4-106) beat Surrey 213 (Dilshan 68; Stevens 5-68) and 398 (Roy 84, Wilson 84, Meaker 42; Stevens 4-110) by 89 runs.

 

Surrey: Burns, Ansari, Solanki, Dilshan, Davies, Roy, Wilson*†, Batty, Meaker, Linley, Dunn

Kent: Bell-Drummond, Key*, Harmison, Nash, Northeast, Stevens, Billings†, Haggett, Claydon, Hartley, Riley

Surrey won the toss and elected to bowl

Bonus points: Surrey 7, Kent 24

 

Full scorecard available here

Pictures supplied by Martin Shaw.