County Championship: Kent beat Worcestershire to boost promotion hopes

Darren Stevens took three of Kent's four wickets on the final morning at Canterbury

Kent kept their hopes of promotion to Division One alive after tying up a 10-wicket win over Worcestershire before lunch on the final day at Canterbury.

After resuming on 213-6 in their second innings, still trailing Kent by 27 runs, the visitors added seven before Matt Coles removed Ben Cox (39).

Darren Stevens (3-31) then cleaned up the tail as Worcestershire were all out for 251, leaving Kent 12 runs to win.

Daniel Bell-Drummond and Sean Dickson easily guided the hosts to victory.

Kent move to the top of the Division Two table on 147 points, six ahead of Essex, whose match against Sussex is ongoing, and 13 ahead of Worcestershire, who slip to third.

On-loan Kent all-rounder Will Gidman told BBC Radio Kent:

"To get those two second-innings wickets with a slightly older ball just as Worcestershire were forming a decent partnership was really pleasing.

"I got slightly lucky with the first wicket. The lad George Rhodes was playing really well, but he started batting way out of his crease and, when I bowled him a really full one, he ended up yorking himself.

"Then, against Daryl Mitchell, that was one that moved back up the him and hit him full in front.

"I'd have loved to have scored a hundred, but batting at number eight. It's the last thing you're really expecting."

Worcestershire head coach Steve Rhodes told BBC Hereford & Worcester:

"Kent played really well. The fact that we were a little under par was mainly due to the fact that Kent played some really good stuff over the four days. On this performance they're becoming a very good side.

"Brett D'Oliveira will come back in but it won't be a case of wholesale changes just because we've lost one match.

"Sport is all about winning and losing. I don't know many teams who just keep winning all of the time.

"Sometimes these lads deserve another chance to get themselves into some better form. We've played plenty of good cricket already this season to know that we're capable of producing better than this."