Surrey edge to victory over Kent
Last updated on .From the section Cricket
| LV= County Championship - Division Two, The Oval |
| Surrey 387 & 184 beat Kent 250 & 300 by 21 runs |
| Surrey 23pts, Kent 5pts |
| Match scorecard |
Tim Linley and Gareth Batty claimed four wickets apiece as Surrey beat Kent by 21 runs at the Oval.
Resuming on 270-8, 52 adrift, the visitors added just 30 on the final day as they were all out for 300.
Kent captain Rob Key was finally bowled for 162 by debutant spinner Zafar Ansari, before Ashley Shaw was caught by Jason Roy off Batty for a duck.
Linley ended with 4-48 while Batty took 4-71 as Surrey secured their fifth consecutive win in all competitions.
Kent farmed the strike intelligently from the first ball of day four, as Key and Robbie Joseph took 10 off their victory target of 52 in the first two overs.
Key also profited from four overthrows after a wild return from Tom Maynard evaded keeper Steve Davies and flew to the ropes. That took him to 150 and Kent looked like they could still force victory.
But home skipper Rory Hamilton-Brown opted for spin at both ends and it paid dividends - Key was bowled around his legs when looking to sweep to claim the strike.
Joseph was dropped by Hamilton-Brown at silly point but, one ball after Kent had reached 300, Shaw gloved a simple chance to Jason Roy at short leg to give Surrey their third Championship victory of the season.
POST-MATCH REACTION
Surrey cricket manager Chris Adams told BBC London 94.9:
"We found a way of getting over the line. I wouldn't say we played our best cricket but at times we played some very good cricket.
"The important things to focus on right now is the points in the bag and where that puts us in the table.
"It keeps us in contention. I think if we had lost this game we could just about forget hopes of getting into a competitive position at the end of the season for that promotion place.
"At times we played some good cricket but we also let Kent back into the game and that's criminal."
BBC Radio Kent's Peter Guise:
"It was always going to be a nervy morning for Kent supporters but, with Robert Key farming the strike well, the victory target of 322 increasingly came closer.
"When Key was out attempting to retain the strike off the last ball of an Ansari over, hopes faded. The last pair couldn't complete the unlikely victory and Surrey won by 21 runs.
"There is much to praise from this Kent performance, Key's innings apart, Alex Blake batted well and Joe Denly's leg spin bagged him six wickets in the game, setting his best bowling in an innings twice in the same game."
