Kent's cricketers head to Cardiff this week with their LV= County Championship Division 2 promotion hopes still alive after completing a 222-run win over leaders Derbyshire at Canterbury on Friday.

The East Midlands county still top the table, but their lead over Yorkshire has now been reduced to one point, with Rob Key’s men in third place, six behind, ahead of their final game against bottom side Glamorgan which starts on Tuesday. Derbyshire finish at home to Hampshire, while Yorkshire face Essex at Chelmsford.

Kent claimed 21 points after a tense final day at the St Lawrence ground, with Matt Coles (pictured) dismissing last man Mark Turner. He was well caught by Geraint Jones as the visitors, set 403 for victory, were all out for 181 just before 5pm.

Darren Stevens followed up his season’s best 5-35 against old county Leicestershire in the previous match with 4-37.

Usman Khawaja’s 53 was the only major contribution to the innings as Derbyshire started the day on 31-1. Coles trapped Paul Borrington and Wes Durston leg before before Khawaja fell in the same fashion to Stevens.

Brendan Nash ran out Ross Whiteley and then Dan Redfern, Derbyshire’s match winner with an unbeaten 50 in their two-wicket victory in the corresponding game early last month, fell to Stevens for 21 off 74 balls.

David Wainwright hung around to also make 21, before being bowled by Mark Davies, who had claimed his first five-wicket haul for Kent in the first innings.

Stevens then sent back Tony Palladino and Tim Groenewald, before Coles finished the job.

Derbyshire were unhappy that ECB rules allowed Kent to use James Tredwell as a replacement for rookie Adam Riley for the final two days, just hours after playing for England in the final one-day international against South Africa at Trent Bridge.

The spinner finished wicketless in the innings, conceding only 34 runs in 33 overs, sending down 19 maidens.