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County Championship: Darren Stevens five-fer helps Kent to five-wicket victory over Surrey
15:00, 10 July 2019
updated: 15:01, 10 July 2019
Darren Stevens picked up a five-fer as Kent beat Surrey by five wickets at the Kia Oval.
The 43-year-old took 5-60 alongside Matt Milnes' 4-61 as Kent bowled the hosts out for 218 on day four.
Having fallen to 0-2 in reply, Kent recovered through Ollie Robinson's unbeaten half-century to seal their third Division 1 win of the season.
After a delayed start on day one due to a wet outfield, Surrey lost Mark Stoneman to lbw on Harry Podmore's second delivery.
Grant Stewart went on to take 3-84 as the hosts closed on 244-6 following Dean Elgar's 63 and with Ben Foakes on 57.
Resuming in the morning, Surrey added 27 to their overnight score after Foakes was eventually bowled by Podmore for 60.
Surrey later attempted to replace the ill Gareth Batty with fellow off-spinner Amar Virdi, receiving Kent's permission to do so and consulting with the match's Cricket Liaison Officer Steve Davis.
Upon contacting the England and Wales Cricket Board for a ruling, Davis was informed that the switch could not be made.
Morne Morkel was the ninth out as Surrey finished on 271-9.
Joe Denly then followed up his century against Nottinghamshire at Tunbridge Wells with 88 as he and Daniel Bell-Drummond gave Kent the edge with a third-wicket partnership of 110 in 34 overs.
Bell-Drummond went on to make 64, after which Denly and Heino Kuhn added 72 to leave Kent on 285-4 and with a lead of 14 at the close.
Kent lost their last six wickets inside 25 overs the next day, with interim captain Kuhn going for 54 and Stevens and Robinson posting a half-century stand in 12 overs to take their side to 369 all out.
Surrey wiped out the 98-run first-innings deficit and edged into a nine-run lead for the loss of only one wicket before Stevens and Milnes combined to turn the home innings on its head.
Stevens bagged season-best figures of 4-46 and Milnes took two wickets in two balls to reduce Surrey to 179-6 when bad light stopped play.
After putting his side in the ascendency, Stevens secured his five-fer on the final day with the wicket of Rikki Clarke.
Milnes meanwhile reached 4-61 as Surrey were dismissed for 218 with a lead of 120.
Kent's reply got off to a miserable start when Zak Crawley went for a duck off his second ball, edging Morkel to Foakes behind the stumps.
It was 0-2 moments later as Denly was bowled by Morkel again for no score.
Dickson and Bell-Drummond steadied proceedings with a 40-run partnership until the former was beaten lbw by Clarke for 18.
Bell-Drummond was caught by Foakes off Sam Curran for 26, before Kuhn (22) and Robinson (51 not out) took Kent closer with a 47-run partnership.
Once Kuhn was caught by Clarke off Batty, it came down to Robinson and Stewart to reach a winning score of 124-5.
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