NORTHEAST HAILS

Skipper Sam Northeast hailed a brilliant display by his bowlers as Kent beat Sussex by 147 runs to record their fourth win in five Specsavers County Championship Division 2 matches.

Victory at the Nevill Ground was secured at around 2.45pm on Monday with Sussex, 182-6 overnight, bowled out for 356 after being set an improbable last innings target of 504.

James Harris took 4-103 on his way to match figures of 7-140 while Matt Coles – playing his 100th First-Class match – claimed 3-85 and leg-spinner Joe Denly 2-49, to follow up scores of 119 and 71 not out.

Darren Stevens had taken 5-40 in the Sussex first innings of 164 and Northeast says the way the Kent attack stuck to their task on a pretty docile strip was admirable.

He said: “We just were relentless. Sussex battled hard second time around and I felt taking new-ball wickets was the key for us.

“It looked at some stages like we weren’t going to get a wicket but we just kept on grinding away.

“The pitch had a little bit more carry than it did last year but still if you’re a batter you’d like to play here more times than not, so to take 20 wickets is a seriously good effort.

“The bowlers bent their backs, there was not much in it but enough for us to take the 20 wickets. It was just a just a brilliant display from all the bowlers.”

Denly’s carefully compiled 119 had held the Kent first innings together as the hosts recovered from 115-4 to reach 369. He shared in stands of 57 with Joe Weatherley (33), 60 with Stevens (44) and 85 with Will Gidman (42). Wicketkeeper Adam Rouse (44) kept the scoreboard ticking over, before James Tredwell (18) and Coles (15 not out) added 39 for the last wicket.

The Sussex reply quickly hit trouble with the Stevens doing most of the damage and they slumped to 109-7 before a stand between David Wiese (36) and Vernon Philander (20) helped push them past 150 (Harris 3-37).

Skipper Northeast decided not to enforce the follow-on and openers Daniel Bell-Drummond (90) and Sean Dickson (74) added 172 with the former going past 4,000 First-Class runs.

Denly and Northeast (46 not out) then added 110 to set up a declaration at 298-2. Sussex were reduced to 8-3 in their second innings with Luke Wright hitting 38 before being fourth out at 73 at which stage Kent began to scent victory inside three days.

However, the Sussex middle and lower order put up spirited resistance led by Stiaan van Zyl (78), keeper Michael Burgess (68) and Philander, who made a season’s best 73 not out.

Kent’s victory was their second over Sussex, having won by 226 runs at Hove in April, and kept them second, four points behind leaders Notts.