Kent suffered a demoralising defeat by an innings and 159 runs at the hands of Northamptonshire in LV= County Championship Division 2 at Wantage Road on Saturday.

The hosts secured victory inside three days after skittling Rob Key's side for just 119 after earlier amassing a huge first innings lead of 258.

After being put in to bat by the hosts, Key (pictured) led the way with 46 in Kent's first innings, but wickets fell at regular intervals and Geraint Jones (32) and Martin van Jaarsveld (24) were the only others past 20 as Kent crawled to 202 all out.

Kent began brightly with the ball and Northants begun day two on 86-3 and it was soon 96-4 but a combination of toothless bowling and disciplined batting - much of it by faces familiar to St Lawrence Ground crowds - helped the hosts reach 429-7 by the close of play on day two.

Former Kent man Andrew Hall led the way with a century and after his side fell to 124-5, the South African shared in a sixth-wicket partnership of 114 with former Kent wicketkeeper Niall O'Brien, who cracked 71 off 101.

Hall put on 77 for the seventh wicket with Chaminda Vaas (27) and added another century stand for the eighth wicket (127) with James Middlebrook, who hit an unbeaten 74.

Hall eventually departed for 146 on the third morning, falling to a fine catch by substitute fielder Ashley Shaw at mid-wicket off the bowling of Robbie Joseph, who finished with 3-79. Simon Cook finished with 3-72 while Matt Coles and the injury-hit Darren Stevens notched two wickets apiece.

Kent faced an uphill struggle and Jack Brooks made matters worse, ripping through Kent's top order on his way to 4-36 as Kent were reduced to 32-6 with Joe Denly, Key, Sam Northeast, van Jaarsveld and Jones all departing for single figures and Stevens falling to a first-ball duck.

Alex Blake cracked 18 and Coles rattled three quick fours in his 13. With Kent staring defeat in the face at 91-8, James Tredwell amassed a battling 35 and Cook added 13 to his first innings 16 before the pair eventually departed.

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