KENT’S one-day skipper Matthew Fleming hinted at retirement after steering his side into the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy semi-finals.

The 37-year-old former England international snatched three wickets towards the end of Gloucestershire’s inning s and then hit a rapid half-century to see Kent into the last four at the canter.

"I’ve been pretty consistent all along in saying this will be last season and what better way for me to go out than with a Lord’s cup final," said Fleming after the five-wicket win at St Lawrence.

"You can’t go on in this game indefinitely and I do have plans to do other things, but I would love to lead Kent in a Lord’s showpiece before I do call it a day.

"I’ve been saying all season that we have tremendous spirit in this side and I fully expected us to bounce back from Sunday’s defeat to Worcestershire with a good performance. The pitch didn’t do as much as Sunday’s wicket and I would have batted first myself had we won the toss.

"It got slower and started to turn a bit at the end, but as long as we keep winning I’m happy and a five-wicket win is a pretty comprehensive victory at this stage of the competition."

In praise of Gloucestershire veterans Kim Barnett, who took man-of-the-match for his excellent 108, and Jack Russell, who helped post 100 for the visitors’ sixth wicket, Fleming added: "You are never through Gloucestershire until you’ve got Jack and Kim out. In fact you’re never really through them full stop!

"They have several annoying, gutsy and determined cricketers in their side and they were never going to roll over and die.

"I felt totally in control of the game until the 40th over and then they went and scored eight an over from there on in.

"That’s the virtue of having wickets in hand and Kim held the innings together fantastically and Jack added the acceleration just when it was required but 232, although competitive, was never a daunting total for us to chase."

The county return to action on Friday with the start of their Frizzell County Championship fourday clash against Division 1 leaders Surrey in Canterbury.