Kent promoted to Division One of Specsavers County Championship for the first time since 2010
Thursday 20 September 2018 15:49, UK
Kent have been promoted to Division One of the Specsavers County Championship.
Kent thrashed Glamorgan by innings and 142 runs and sealed promotion after Sussex failed to pass 400 runs in their first innings against table-toppers Warwickshire.
It was the Spitfires 10th first-class win of the season, and the first where they picked up maximum points, and coupled with Warwickshire bowling Sussex out for 343 in their first innings at Edgbaston ensured their return to the top flight.
Glamorgan resumed on 33-4 at Canterbury, still requiring another 218 runs to make their hosts bat again - after Zak Crawley's career-best 186 had helped the Spitfires post 436 in their first innings.
Darren Stevens, having picked up two wickets in the evening session of day two, needed just nine balls on the morning of the third day to take Glamorgan's fifth second-innings wicket; as he had Jeremy Lawlor caught behind.
The 42-year-old then picked up another scalp in his next over as Chris Cooke fell in identical fashion before New Zealand seamer Matt Henry (4-53) chipped in; bowling Craig Meschede and taking Ruaidhri Smith's thin edge as he was caught behind.
Stevens then completed his second five-wicket haul of the red-ball campaign this season, finishing off Glamorgan's innings as Michael Hogan was caught by Joe Denly as the away side were bowled out for 78.
The Spitfires last played in Division One in 2010, after winning Division Two in 2009, but fell straight back down to the second tier of the County Championship after just one season having finished second-bottom.
A second-place finish in Division Two in 2016 was not enough to earn Kent a place in the top flight, after a restructure to the competition saw just one team promoted that year.
