KENT players past and present delighted a packed Lord’s crowd and light up one of the most memorable one-day internationals ever between England and Australia on Saturday.

England’s last two batsmen Ashley Giles and Steve Harmison scrambled two runs from the final delivery of the match to tie with their oldest enemy at 196 for nine, having been seemingly out of the game at 33 for five at the start of their innings.

The home innings was salvaged by Kent wicketkeeper and man-of-the match Geraint Jones who, after taking five catches in the Aussie innings, went on to crack three sixes in a top-score of 71 from 100 balls.

Jones featured in a record sixth-wicket partnership worth 116 with Durham’s Paul Collingwood that gave England half a chance of winning when all hope appeared lost.

Though he might have been run out without even scoring, Jones went on to play the style of counter-attacking innings that would have delighted England coach Duncan Fletcher and one that seems certain to secure his Ashes spot for the remainder of the summer.

“We knew, Paul and I, that we really needed to get stuck in and build a partnership,” said Jones after collecting a commemorative medal and a cheque for £1,500.

“We took our time and developed that and knew we would have to be there somewhere near the end if we were to get close to their total.

“Luckily we managed to achieve that, sure we took a few risks along the way there but it paid off and we got mighty close to winning.

“We still had a bit of batting left after I got out, Goughie’s been hitting the ball pretty well of late, so there was never any doubt for me that we’d get close.”

Though honours were shared at St John’s Wood, it was former Kent all-rounder Andrew Symonds who was named man of the NatWest Series.

Symonds, who was docked 10 per cent of his tour fee and banned for two games at the start of the series after breaking a team curfew in Cardiff, picked up a £3,000 cheque that eases the burden of the earlier fine.

“Today’s game was a real spectacle to watch from the sidelines and a great game to be involved in,” said Symond’s, who followed a patient 29 with a run out and a steady bowling 10-over bowling stint that conceded just 23 runs.

“It was a fairly bowler friendly surface for those who didn’t notice and if you hit the rope (seam) regularly then pretty much anything could happen.”

Having left Kent under a cloud last season after being disciplined for refusing to support acting captain Ed Smith, Symonds is now being linked with a move to Old Trafford.

It had been mooted that Symonds would join his former club Gloucestershire, but a late bid from Lancashire looks likely to see him replace fellow Australian Brad Hogg who, unlike Symonds, is named in the Australian Test squad.