Kent stay top after run-fest

Three centurions at Canterbury

Last updated: 18th May 2008

Martin van Jaarsveld Kent

Van Jaarsveld: Third ton this season

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Friends Provident Trophy - South/East Division
Canterbury
Kent 337-3 Innings Complete (D I Stevens 119 no, M van Jaarsveld 113 no) v Surrey 320 (M A Butcher 139, U Afzaal 74, Azhar Mahmood 4-40)
Kent beat Surrey by 17 runs

Centuries from Martin van Jaarsveld and Darren Stevens, and some brilliant bowling from Azhar Mahmood, gave Kent a 17-run victory in a thrilling Friends Provident Trophy clash with Surrey at Canterbury.

A limited-overs best from Surrey captain Mark Butcher had steered the Brown Caps to within site of an unlikely victory but the return of Mahmood (4-40) at the death saw the visitors collapse from 293-3 to 320 all out.

Kent amassed a massive 337-3 thanks to an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 216 between Van Jaarsveld (113) and Stevens (119).

The dismissal of Butcher for 139, clean bowled by Yasir Arafat, started the collapse but with Alistair Brown and Jonathan Batty still at crease the visitors still looked favourites.

However, Batty (4) was deceived by a slower ball from Mahmood and then Brown (38) missed a straight one with 31 runs still needed.

Matt Nicholson (7) was beaten by a Mahmood yorker and Neil Saker looped a catch to Robert Key for one.

Jade Dernbach quickly followed for a duck and the innings was wrapped up in the final over when Chris Jordan (4) was caught at long on, giving Mahmood his fourth wicket.

The victory was Kent's fifth of the competition and ensures the South East county remain on top of the region standings - two points ahead of Essex.