KENT'S Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds was the toast of his team-mates as the Spitfires beat Warwickshire to clinch the Norwich Union League's first division title.

Symonds took five for 18 and was also responsible for a run-out off his own bowling as the Midlands side were dismissed for 208, chasing a Kent total of 216. It was Kent's first trophy since they won the old Sunday league in 1995.

Min Patel said afterwards: "There have been so many tight games this year, games that we look to have lost through the middle period, only for Matthew Fleming to bowl brilliantly at the death.

"But this time it was Symonds who proved a different class. When the chips were down ‘Roy’ came good for us when we needed a big performance.

"The boys just kept believing we could do it and that has been the difference all year."

Fleming said: "Praise to Symonds because when we looked like faltering he grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck and won it for us in the fashion of a really committed overseas professional cricketer.

"We’ve been bridesmaids so often in the last 15 years it was great for us to grab the groom at last."

Symonds said: "With the opposition I just tried to bowl as sharp as I could. There was a little bit in the pitch if you hit the deck hard, but we still made it hard for ourselves by putting a couple of chances down. We’ve hung in there, and hung in there all season and won a lot of close games and that’s why we’ve won this trophy."