KENT secured their fifth win in six starts and dented Surrey's Frizzell County Championship chances with an innings and 155-run drubbing of the long-term Division 1 leaders.

David Fulton’s side made it four successive wins by wrapping up victory within 11 overs of the third day at St Lawrence as lacklustre Surrey ran out of steam and willpower.

Weakened by injuries to Azhar Mahmood and Alex Tudor and five Test calls, Surrey performed like a side in fear of relegation rather than a team in pursuit of the title and with just one match remaining they may now have left the championship door ajar for Sussex and Leicestershire.

The basis for Kent’s win was their second highest total of the summer, 535 all out, scored at the impressive rate of 4.45 an over.

A season’s best opening stand worth 160 between former Surrey batsman Michael Carberry (92) and David Fulton (71) gave the platform for some strong hitting later in the order from Andrew Symonds, Mark Ealham and Geraint Jones.

Symonds hit 18 fours and a six in his 121 at almost a run-a-ball, then Ealham iced the cake with 93 as he and Jones (53) put on 83 in 21 overs as Kent amassed maximum batting bonus points.

With Surrey needing 386 to avoid the follow-on and home confidence high, Fulton threw the new ball to Martin Saggers and his display of Test-class swing and seam bowling demoralised the Surrey top-order and set Kent on their way.

He plucked out the off stump of left-hander Ian Ward with an off-cutter, up-rooted the middle pole of Mark Ramprakash with an in-swinger that seamed away on pitching, then bent back off and middle to Jonathan Batty with a leg-cutter.

"I just went out there and bowled rather than filling my head with the other issues of playing for England," said Saggers after taking his championship haul to 51 at an average of 22.4.

"I suppose I’ve been putting extra pressure on myself in wanting to do well for Kent in the hope of impressing the Test selectors, but they'd picked the team for the final Test and subconsciously that probably took the pressure off me.

"I’ve took seven in the match and possibly found my best rhythm of the season which, considering I also bowled down the slope in their second innings, was really satisfying.

"I’d still love to play for England of course, but in my heart of hearts I don’t think I’ll be going on a tour this winter."

In this Kent win Saggers, received pacey, if occasionally wayward support from Amjad Khan with three for 50 while off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan continued his run of fine form with six wickets in the match as Surrey were rolled over for 125 in 29 overs.

Kent had the visitors seven down in no time following on and even claimed the extra half-an-hour in a bid to polish off a two-day win, but bad light and some lusty late hitting edged the game into Saturday before they banked their 22-points triumph.