KENT’S most famous item of cricketing memorabilia went under the hammer at Sotheby’s in London on Tuesday and sold for £680,000, almost £400,000 above the guide price.

The painting of Kent in the field against Lancashire at the St Lawrence ground in Canterbury in 1906 was commissioned by the club’s founder and chairman Lord Harris to commemorate the county’s maiden championship title win that season.

The oil on canvas work by Albert Chevallier Tayler, which measures up at 45 inches by 90 inches, depicts Kent’s famous left-arm spin bowler Colin Blythe in action from the pavilion end bowling to Lancashire’s England batsman John Tyldesley.

Listed on the Sotheby’s catalogue at Lot 68, the bidding opened at £222,000, stalled briefly at £600,000 while two telephone bidders considered their options, before finally going for £680,000. The sale took less than two minutes.

The successful bidder was London-based fine art dealer and agent, Guy Morrison, acting on behalf of West Country-based millionaire businessman and chairman of Bath Rugby Club, Andrew Brownsword.

The painting was purchased for Mr Brownsword’s charitable foundation, set up to save paintings from going overseas and to keep them on public display. Initially, the painting will be kept at the MCC cricket museum at Lord’s.

Kent chairman Carl Openshaw said: "This is really the best possible outcome.

"Of course we are delighted that the price has exceeded the estimate that both Sotheby’s and the club placed on the painting and I am happy that such a unique picture will be staying in England and available for public display."

Though the gavel dropped at £680,000 Kent will receive considerably less once the New Bond Street auctioneers have taken their commission.

The price breaks the record paid for a Chevallier Tayler painting by almost £600,000, the artist’s previous best was £80,700 paid a decade ago.

The purchaser Mr Brownsword made his millions after selling his greeting card company to Hallmark for £165million in 1994.

Since which he has branched out into sportswear, owning outright the manufacturing and retail company, Snow & Rock that turned over £20million last year alone.

He is also co-owner of the Abode Hotel chain, which runs the Glasgow Arthouse hotel and the County Hotel in Canterbury, which is undergoing a complete re-fit this summer.