Kent recorded their third straight Friends Provident Trophy victory after Justin Kemp’s cool knock helped them past Warwickshire by four wickets at Canterbury on Sunday.

Kemp (pictured right) came to the crease with the home side almost 100 short of their victory target and rocking on 125-4, but he kept his head to crack an unbeaten 45 from 52 balls, including six fours.

Warwickshire won the toss and chose to bat, but Wayne Parnell struck twice early on to reduce the visitors to 22-2, with newly-recalled England batsman Ian Bell ousted for a duck.

Rob Ferley accounted for Jim Troughton (63) and Jonathon Trott (53) after the pair had steadied the ship for the Bears, putting-on 108 for the third wicket.

Ferley ended with 3-34 off 10, Parnell finished with 3-27 off nine and Martin van Jaarsveld took 2-25 off six as Warwickshire were dismissed for 218.

Joe Denly (49) got Kent off to a solid start, but after he, Rob Key (20), van Jaarsveld (27) and James Hockley (4) were dismissed, Kent were reeling at 125-4.

However Kemp and Geraint Jones (35 from 45 balls) put Kent back on track and Azhar Mahmood’s late 18 not out helped them to their target with more than eight overs to spare.

Kent are second in Group B with six points from a possible eight and look well-placed to qualify for the next phase.