Kent were consigned to a record-breaking County Championship Division 1 defeat to Surrey in Canterbury on Wednesday.

Only once before in the County Championship had a side failed to defend more than 500 in a losing cause - and that was nearly 100 years ago - but the leaders cruised to 501-5 on day four.

Stand-in skipper Jack Leaning, deputising for dropped captain Sam Billings, reflected: “I’m not really sure where to start, to be honest. The boys are just deflated, really, and understandably.

“You put a score on the board, you think you’ve got a good crack at defending it and - at worst - coming away with a draw. Credit to Surrey, they’ve put on a real masterclass on how to chase a big score, fourth innings.

“They’re a very experienced team, there’s a lot of good players in that side, and credit to them. I feel they have won the game, rather than us losing it.” Opener Dom Sibley’s resolute unbeaten ton and Ben Foakes’ century of his own got them to victory after Jamie Smith’s 77-ball 114 had set the platform the previous evening.

Kent spinners Joe Denly (1-41) and Hamid Qadri (1-70) initially took less than 15 minutes at the start of the day to rattle through the remaining six overs before the second new ball was due.

It wasn’t long after that before the fresh Dukes cherry was given to Matt Quinn (0-61) and Australian overseas Wes Agar (1-119), with Surrey having added 14 to their overnight score of 263-3.

Foakes survived a massive lbw shout off Agar in the 86th over after he had cut the previous ball for four. But, other than that, Surrey went through the first hour without any real scares.

Indian overseas Arshdeep Singh (2-90) found some rhythm, though, and he brought an edge from the irremovable Sibley in the 98th over. But it wasn’t clear if it had carried to Ben Compton at first slip or not before it went to ground.

The last ball of the 101st over saw Foakes get to his half-century thanks to a single off Joey Evison (0-87) while his and Sibley’s 100-run partnership came up just before lunch when Foakes took a quick single from spinner Qadri, who had been re-introduced into the attack.

Surrey were 335-3 after a wicketless and tough session for Kent in the sun, Sibley unbeaten on 86 from 317 balls and Foakes 63 not out.

Little was going the hosts’ way. They were adamant Qadri had got a sorely-needed fourth wicket in the 112th over, Foakes caught behind by Jordan Cox, only for the umpire to remain unmoved.

As Kent continued to plug away, in the 115th over, Agar hit Foakes on the back and got the 30-year-old to nick just in front of wicketkeeper Cox shortly after.

A change of ball almost paid immediate dividends when a checked Foakes cover-drive went agonisingly past Compton, who was having a hard time of it in the field.

The home team were trying everything now and, as Quinn returned, bowling around the wicket in the 125th over, he did so to a field where only one fielder stood on the legside.

Back-to-back Foakes fours off Evison brought him to 99, one ahead of Sibley. But 27-year-old Sibley moved to his ton first - the slowest in both minutes and balls faced in the County Championship - from 368 balls and in 511 minutes, with a legside boundary off Quinn.

With Leaning (0-23) now in the attack, Foakes then went to his hundred in a much quicker 198 balls with a two through the leg side.

Another Foakes single off Leaning ticked the visitors’ runs required into double figures and he then whacked Leaning for six. Overall, that over from Leaning went for 20, finishing with another maximum.

It was really gruelling stuff at this stage for Kent and a third boundary from Agar’s 29th over saw Sibley and Foakes bring up their 200-run stand with the finish line now in sight.

Finally, the partnership was broken with the score on 437-4 when Foakes pulled a Denly drag-down to Quinn on the leg-side boundary for 124.

Singh and Agar were now bowling but a Will Jacks boundary in the 136th over moved Surrey to 452-4 by tea.

Jacks wanted to get the game over in a hurry. But he hooked Singh to Agar in similar fashion to Foakes on the leg-side boundary to be dismissed for 19 and leave the visitors still 40 runs from their target.

That brought in all-rounder Jordan Clark and he raced to 21 off 21 balls to move Surrey within nine runs of victory. It was left to Cumbrian Clark to clip a single off Denly to get the visitors across the line, Sibley ending 140 not out from 415 balls and Clark adding an unbeaten 26.

They took 19 points from the game while Matt Walker’s second-bottom side claimed five points in defeat.

The only bigger County Championship run chase in history had seen Middlesex rattle off 502-6 against Nottinghamshire in 1925.