Kent leave relegation-threatened Notts bottom after day four blitz

It took the hosts less than 60 overs to complete victory having set 406 to win, to leave Steven Mullaney's side in desperate trouble at the bottom of Division One

Tunbridge Wells (third day of four): Kent 309 & 363-5d, Nottinghamshire 267 & 120 - Kent won by 285 runs

Scorecard

Kent skittled Nottinghamshire inside two sessions to land an impressive 285-run win on the final day of their Specsavers County Championship match in Tunbridge Wells.

Having set the East Midlands’ county an improbable victory target of 406, Kent set about rolling over the first division’s basement side inside 60 overs to land their second win of the summer. The hosts banked 22 points, while Nottinghamshire travelled north with only five.

Kent had Harry Podmore, the former Middlesex seamer, to thank for the win after his five for 41 return, but Ollie Rayner, the off-spinner making his Kent debut after agreeing to a three-month loan from the same county, also played a key role with a mid-afternoon stint of 16-12-13-2.

At the day’s start, Kent batted on for nine overs to add a further 86 to their overnight total of 277 for 3.

Joe Denly pressed the run-rate accelerator from the off, clattering another 56 off only 30 balls with five sixes and three fours to finish unbeaten on 167 from his 273 minutes at the crease overall.

He lost Heino Kuhn for 42, bowled by off-spinner Matt Carter, and Ollie Robinson, well caught at backward point for just a single as Kent’s dash for runs stumbled, albeit briefly.

Kent’s declaration left them 90 minutes and two full sessions to dismiss the visitors, but they duly wrapped up the win by tea with Podmore to the fore.    

^{Ollie Rayner also made a key contribution with the ball}

Ben Duckett, the former England left-hander, lauded for his aggressive batting, received a life with his score on 15 when Zak Crawley spilt a low chance at third slip off Podmore. Yet, the opportunity cost only 10 runs as Duckett chased another full one outside off stump to be caught behind.

Four overs later, Podmore removed the experienced Chris Nash to a fine low catch by keeper Robinson, diving to his right then, five balls later, the bowler snared Joe Clarke leg before for a duck after a late and ill-judged decision to shoulder arms.

Grant Stewart took over at the Railway End and struck with his 14th delivery by having Samit Patel caught at square cover off a leaden-footed and imprudent back-foot force that left Nottinghamshire in trouble on 56 for four at lunch.

Kent’s dominance continued in the mid-session as Ollie Rayner, the Middlesex loanee, held court from the Railway End with a tenacious spell, the last five overs of which were maidens.

Rayner took his maiden wicket for Kent by turning one away from Ben Slater and feathering the edge for a catch behind. The off-spinner also had James Pattinson caught in the gulley from an over-ambitious drive.

Wiaan Mulder chipped in with the wicket of visiting skipper Steven Mullaney, leg before to a yorker, then Podmore and Grant Stewart, with 2-13, returned to polish the job off.

Courtesy of the ECB reporters network

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