Kent won by 41 runs.

MAIDEN one-day hundreds for Andrew Hall and Neil Dexter coupled with a blistering 82 from opener Darren Stevens set Kent on their way to a season’s-best C&G Trophy total of 332 and a comfortable 41-run win over Glamorgan.

Scorching weather, a sublime Sophia Gardens pitch that had been treated with PVA glue coupled with a weakened Dragons’ attack that missed the international class of Robert Croft and Kiwi James Franklin made for ideal batting conditions in which Kent’s top order duly cashed in.

The visitors got the ball rolling with an opening stand of 115 between Stevens and Dexter with both making the best of glorious conditions.

Stevens, playing in the stand-and-deliver style of former Kent bat Trevor Ward, clobbered nine fours in his half-century from 45 balls, then added a six and three more boundaries before a lapse in balance and concentration led to his demise.

Aiming a leg-side clip off a Richard Grant in-swinger Stevens over-balanced and dragged his back-foot to give Mark Wallace a stumping off a leg-side wide.

The display of power hitting was continued by Hall who marched in at No.3 to add 184 in 31 overs in tandem with Dexter – the highest second wicket stand in the Trophy by any county against Glamorgan.

The pair ran well, Dexter played classically correct strokes and Hall hit lustily leaving Glamorgan’s beleaguered attack unsure of where they could bowl defensively, so much so that only Alex Wharf managed a maiden in Kent’s 50-over allocation.

Dexter, given a chance on 54 when Nicky Peng dropped at skier at deep mid-wicket, slowed markedly on his way to three figures but finally reached the milestone from 121 balls and with seven fours.

Hall needed 31 fewer deliveries and cracked seven fours and three sixes in his 90-ball century but, from his very next delivery, holed out to deep mid-wicket leaving Dexter and Justin Kemp to play out the two remaining overs.

Surprisingly it was Dexter who unfurled the big shots thereafter, taking two sixes and 23 runs from the penultimate over from Darren Thomas as Kent cantered past 300 for the first time this summer and Dexter to an unbeaten 135 – one short of equalling Kent’s competition best by Carl Hooper against Berkshire in 1994.

Hooking proved the undoing of the Welsh early in their reply as Dan Cherry top-edged an Amjad Khan bouncer to Niall O’Brien then Alex Wharf played late on one from Hall that flew to Stevens at deep mid-wicket.

Glamorgan’s hopes rested heavily on the shoulders of Australian Mark Cosgrove but despite being dropped by Martin van Jaarsveld at slip from his first ball the rotund all-rounder lofted a straight drive to the same player with his score on 24.

Cosgrove waddled off inspecting the cracked toe-end of his bat and ultimately Glamorgan’s victory chances went with him once Kent’s spin trio of Min Patel, James Tredwell and van Jaarsveld mopped up the middle order by sharing four wickets.

Khan was the pick of the bowling though, his return of three for 44 easily his best of this Trophy campaign.