Kent suffer heavy defeat

Kent slumped to their second defeat of the County Championship season with a full day of their match with Essex still remaining.

Having resumed on their dire overnight position of nine for three, Kent proceeded to lose their last seven wickets for 92 runs inside Friday's opening session against a three-man Essex attack shorn of the services of the injured David Masters.

Jamaican-born paceman Maurice Chambers proved the scourge of the Kent top-order in claiming four for 31 - a tally which included his 100th first-class wicket for Essex.

Harbhajan Singh and Graham Napier provided quality support on a wearing wicket to bag three wickets apiece as Kent succumbed for 101, denting their Division Two promotion hopes.

Chambers started to rout with the 20th ball of the day when he rushed one down the St Lawrence slope to trap Brendan Nash leg before as the ex-West Indies Test batsman made a fatal late decision to shoulder arms.

Chambers then got one to lift at Michael Powell, who could only spar and edge to wicketkeeper James Foster.

Napier got in on the act by snaring Darren Stevens lbw as the Kent shot-maker drove across the line of an in-ducker, while Harbhajan enticed Alex Blake into an ill-advised late cut that sailed into the hands of Chambers at backward point.

Three balls later, Azhar Mahmood drove on the up against a good length Napier delivery to pick out Jaik Mickleburgh at short extra cover and go for a golden duck.

Experienced Kent keeper Geraint Jones became one of only four batsmen to limp into double figures before he glanced a popping Harbhajan delivery straight to leg slip fielder Ryan ten Doeschate.

Matt Coles became Kent's last man out when he dragged a Napier slower ball to Harbhajan at short mid-wicket to send the sides in for a slightly delayed lunch.

With a quirky sense of timing, Kent captain Rob Key presented Coles and top-order batsman Sam Northeast their Kent caps during the interval.

Essex emerged after the resumption looking to polish off the 55 runs they needed for their second win of the season in double-quick time. However, the modest pursuit hardly went according to plan.

Jaik Mickleburgh went leg before to Mahmood, who then plucked out Tom Westley's off stump to make it 19 for two.

Owais Shah reached 13 before top-edging a pull against Charlie Shreck to be caught at long leg with Essex still 20 short of their target.

Mark Pettini teamed up with Ryan ten Doeschate to see their side over the win line, however, with Ten Doeschate hitting Adam Riley for six into the Frank Woolley stand and then for a single behind square to polish off the 21-point win by 3pm and with four sessions remaining.

The result keeps Kent fourth in the table on 119 points, one behind Hampshire and Yorkshire, while Essex themselves have put themselves in the picture on 106.