Kent's cricket team have scored their lowest number of runs for 149 years.

They were bowled out for their fifth-lowest first-class score at Canterbury this afternoon.

Playing Specsavers County Championship Division 1 leaders Essex they collapsed to a meagre 40 all out – their lowest score since the 19th century.

Looking to build on a first-innings lead of 112 after dismissing Essex for 114 they were destroyed by the visiting opening pair of Sam Cook and Mohammad Amir.

Not one player reached double figures as Cook took 7-23 and Pakistan pace man Amir 2-16 to help dismiss Kent in 18.1 overs.

The pair had taken respectively 5-42 and 4-48 in Kent's first innings of 226.

Kent only just managed to avoid the embarrassment of registering their lowest score at Canterbury. That came back in 1844 when they were bowled out for 37 by England. It was, however, their worst score since being bowled out for 20 by Surrey at The Oval in 1870.

Sean Dickson was the first to go, trapped leg before by Cook without a run on the board in the second over.

Seven for one became seven for four as three wickets fell in just six deliveries.

Daniel Bell-Drummond (4) was caught by Simon Harmer off Amir, and from the last ball of the same over skipper Sam Billings went without scoring, caught by wicketkeeper Adam Wheater.

Zak Crawley (3) became Cook's second lbw victim of the innings, before Ollie Robinson (2) also fell to Cook with the total a paltry nine.

Cook struck again when he had Heino Kuhn (5) caught behind with the total on 18, and only one more run had been added when Darren Stevens (8) fell leg before to the seamer.

Harry Podmore, who scored a championship best 54 not out in Kent's first innings, was the fourth player trapped leg before by Cook at 23, after which Ollie Rayner and Matt Milnes shared the best stand of the innings.

The ninth wicket pair added 13 before Rayner (9) went leg before to Cook. The innings ended when Jamie Porter bowled Milnes (9).

Kent's collapse left Essex to chase 153 for victory in the final innings.

In June Kent had been bowled out for 59 by Somerset at Canterbury. Their lowest first-class total is 18 against Sussex at Gravesend in 1867.

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