County Championship: Tom Lawes takes five to help Surrey wrap up win over Kent

Surrey seamer Tom Lawes finished with career-best match figures of 8-63

Tom Lawes dismissed England duo Zak Crawley and Sam Billings in dramatic fashion early on day three as he claimed a career-best 5-22 to set up Surrey's 10-wicket three-day win over outclassed Kent.

England opener Crawley fell for 34, adding just three runs to his overnight score, then Kent captain Billings bagged an agonising pair as Kent slumped to 141 all out.

That left reigning champions Surrey needing just 58 to complete their fourth win in six County Championship Division one matches this season.

They got there in just 11.3 overs, just before the scheduled lunch interval, when skipper Rory Burns reverse-slapped Jack Leaning's off-spin for six over third man.

He finished with a run-a-ball 36 not out, while Dom Sibley was unbeaten on 16, to earn a 22-point haul which strengthens Surrey's position on top of the table.

They are now on 104 points, 25 clear of second-placed Warwickshire, who are not playing this week as they are hosting the start of the new T20 season at Edgbaston, and Hampshire, who joined the Bears on 79 points after also completing a three-day innings victory over Northamptonshire.

England opener Zak Crawley could only add three to his overnight 31 as Kent collapsed on the third morning

For Kent it is a third defeat of a summer which for them looks like bringing only a desperate fight against Championship relegation.

It took Surrey only 16 overs on the third morning to take the last six Kent second innings wickets for 61 runs and give themselves their modest victory target.

All-rounder Lawes, still only 20, underlined his huge potential by adding the scalps of Billings, Crawley and Joey Evison to those of Tawanda Muyeye and Leaning late on day two after Kent had resumed on 80-4.

His morning spell was 6.2-1-20-3, adding to the 2.4-1-2-2 of the previous evening, as he earned his first five-wicket haul in first-class cricket - and match figures of 8-63.

Lawes, who broke into Surrey's senior side midway through last season, now has 36 red-ball wickets from 10 matches at an average of 20.22.

Surrey matchwinner Tom Lawes told BBC Radio London:

"It was a very special moment for me to get my first five-wicket haul in first-class cricket. Something I'll never forget.

"Walking off the field at the end of the Kent innings, in front of The Oval pavilion and crowd and, with all my teammates around me, will be a wonderful memory for me in years to come.

"I wasn't sure if I was going to get on to bowl last night, so when I was thrown the ball I just wanted to steam in and make something happen. There was a real intensity out there when Sean Abbott and I took those three wickets in the last three overs and we took that into this morning.

"That's how we want to play our cricket. We reckon there is still more to come from us as a team. But this win is a great way to finish this first block of six Championship games. It sets us up for the next two matches in June, which will be played with a Kookaburra ball."

Kent head coach Matt Walker:

"The last three overs last night when we lost three wickets was the big difference in this match. Up until then we were right in the game but to go from 78-1, after Tawanda and Zak had batted really well, to 80-4 at the close was when things changed.

"Tom Lawes was outstanding with the ball this morning and it was a bit of a procession in the end. That's very frustrating for us because it's been a pattern of the season so far. We play well in patches but then have a period where we lose a few wickets quickly or bowl poorly.

"We fought hard to get ourselves back in it in the first innings and got a reasonable total on the board, and then we had them 211-7 and we were actually looking at perhaps getting a first innings lead. But Sean Abbott batted very well and Gus Atkinson came in to take it away from us.

"It's a tough defeat to take even though Surrey are obviously a very strong side, the champions and top of Division One again."

Report supplied by ECB Reporters' Network