Kent fell to their first loss of the 2021 County Championship season on Sunday as they were defeated by Yorkshire.

Seven wickets on day four meant the visitors won the match by 200 runs, as Kent took just the five bonus points from the game.

Following centuries from Adam Lyth and England captain Joe Root, Kent were left chasing a mammoth 445 to win in their fourth innings. And after losing Jordan Cox and Zak Crawley late on day three, their task on day four was always going to be a difficult one.

The equation at the start of play on day four was a simple one. Kent, 33/2 overnight in their second innings, needed to bat out the day, or score an unlikely 412 more runs to win, and Yorkshire needed eight wickets.

The day began in pretty much perfect fashion for Yorkshire. Kent’s captain Daniel Bell-Drummond was bowled by the impressive David Willey off the fourth ball of the day for 24, playing down the wrong line and seeing his off stump cartwheeling out the ground.

Joe Denly joined Milnes in the middle and the first boundary of the day came off the bat of the nightwatchman, whose neat cover drive from Duanne Olivier raced to the fence as Kent tried to provide some resistance. Denly then cracked his first boundary through the covers off of Willey, and Kent’s second-innings 50 was soon up.

The 50-partnership followed, from just 68 balls as Milnes flicked Yorkshire captain Steven Patterson fine for four, perhaps signalling a sign of intent from Kent. Those intentions were soon squashed by Yorkshire, though, as Denly fell.

Playing forward to all-rounder Jordan Thompson, Denly almost fell over, edging one through to Yorkshire wicketkeeper Jonathan Tattersall in the process for 30 to leave his side reeling at 86/4.

Former Yorkshireman Jack Leaning only added to Kent’s pain as, in at six, he was out for a pair against his old team. Trying to defend a full Jordan Thompson ball, he edged to Tom Kohler-Cadmore at first slip for another duck as the Kent slide continued.

Ollie Robinson was in at seven for Kent and he and Milnes resisted until lunch, but it felt a matter of when rather than if for the Spitfires.

Matt Milnes brought up his maiden first-class 50 just after lunch with a cover drive off Dom Bess that a top order batsman would be proud of, and he was holding together what was otherwise an extremely disappointing innings from a Kent point of view.

A bat-pad appeal was turned down to Bess’ disbelief with Milnes on 54, and the England spinner again had his head in his hands as he was denied a close LBW appeal.

He was jumping for joy though when teammate Duanne Olivier had Robinson caught behind for 28. As the afternoon session approached an hour deep, Robinson flashed at a wide delivery and nicked through to Tattersall behind the stumps. Soft, but the 193-ball partnership between Milnes and Robinson was over.

Yorkshire began to mix up their tactics as Darren Stevens joined the resistance. Joe Root had a bowl, and David Willey began to bowl very straight, but the angle was against him from around the wicket, and he saw two big LBW calls in one over turned down.

The Kent duo saw things through to tea as Yorkshire began to get a bit twitchy, and the 50-partnership passed soon after the break as Kent’s 200 was on the board. A Darren Stevens six followed in the wait for the new ball.

When the new ball arrived, Yorkshire struck. David Willey, swinging one in, wrapped Matt Milnes on the pads and the finger went up. Milnes’ 210-ball stay in the middle was done as he departed for a fantastic 78 as nightwatchman, with Grant Stewart joining Darren Stevens in the middle and Kent’s hopes fading.

The new ball continued to do the damage for Yorkshire as Stevens was caught trying to drive Willey, and it was game, set and match when Willey had Cummins out LBW for 12 just before 17:00 BST. With Podmore unable to bat, Yorkshire were the confirmed victors by 200 runs exactly, and Kent had to settle for just the five bonus points accumulated.

Kent’s next game will begin on Thursday April 22 as they host Lancashire.