Kent recorded their fourth win of the season in Specsavers County Championship Division 2 when they overcame some spirited Sussex resistance to triumph by 147 runs at Tunbridge Wells on Monday.

Joe Denly's 20th First-Class ton, another five-wicket haul from Darren Stevens and a 172-run opening stand between Daniel Bell-Drummond and Sean Dickson were among the highlights as Kent maintained their promotion push behind leaders Nottinghamshire.

Victory at the Nevill Ground was secured at around 2.45pm on the fourth and final day with Sussex, 182-6 overnight, being bowled out for 356 after being set an improbable last innings target of 504.

James Harris returned figures of 4-103 from 26.4 overs with Matt Coles - playing his 100th First-Class match - taking 3-85 from 23 overs, and legspinner Denly 2-49 from 17.

Denly's carefully compiled 119 had held the Kent innings together on the opening day as the hosts recovered from 115-4 to close on 316-8.

The 31-year-old right hander batted for five hours 20 minutes, hitting 16 fours from 208 balls, and shared in stands of of 57 with Joe Weatherley (33), 60 with Darren Stevens (44) and 85 with Will Gidman (42) before being seventh out at 281.

Wicketkeeper Adam Rouse (44) kept the scoreboard ticking over, before James Tredwell (18) and Coles (15 not out) added 39 for the last wicket to push Kent's total to 369.

The Sussex reply quickly hit trouble with the in-form Stevens (5-40 from 17 overs) doing most of the damage and they slumped to 109-7 before a half-century stand between David Wiese (36) and Vernon Philander (20) helped push them up to 164 (James Harris 3-37 from 8.5 overs).

Kent skipper Sam Northeast decided not to enforce the follow-on and by the close on day two openers Bell-Drummond and Dickson had added 116 without loss.

The pair extended their stand by a further 56 runs on the third morning before Dickson was trapped leg before for 74.

Bell-Drummond went 16 runs later, falling just 10 short of his first championship century of the season although the 23-year-old did pass 4,000 First-Class runs in the process.

Denly and Northeast then piled on the misery for the Sussex bowlers adding 110 unbroken to set up a declaration at 298-2. Denly's 71 - his 49th First-Class fifty - came from 49 balls with five fours and four sixes, while his skipper made 46 from 40 balls with three fours and two sixes.

Sussex were swiftly reduced to 8-3 in their second innings with Coles removing Harry Finch (5) and Luke Wells (0) and Stevens accounting for Chris Nash (3).

Luke Wright hit 38 from 32 balls before being fourth out at 73 at which stage Kent began to scent victory inside three days.

However, South African Stiaan van Zyl (78) and wicketkeeper Michael Burgess held them up with a stand of 85, which was ended by Denly, who then caught and bowled Chris Jordan to complete a pair for the England man and put Kent in a strong position to push for victory on the final day.

Sussex though made them work for the final four wickets. Wiese (34) was the first to go, bowled by Harris, after he and Burgess had added 51, and Burgess then shared a half-century stand with Philander before falling leg before to Coles for 68, made over more than four hours.

Philander continued to frustrate his former team-mates, going to a season's best 73 not out and adding 49 for the ninth wicket with Jofra Archer (27) before the latter was leg before to Harris, just after a short stoppage for rain.

Harris then trapped last man Briggs (18) lbw but not before he and Philander had added 44 for the final wicket.

Kent's win was their second over Sussex this season, having won by 226 runs at Hove in April, and kept them in second spot, four points behind Notts.

They resume their championship campaign on Thursday, June 8, when they host Durham at the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence.