KENT eased through to the third round of the Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy with a comprehensive 127-run win over Derbyshire at the Old Racecourse Ground.

This was easily Kent’s most encouraging limited overs’ performance of the season to date with determined displays with bat and ball in testing conditions for run-scoring.

The visiting batsmen, having been asked to bat, built sensibly on a stylish opening stand worth 123 between Rob Key and Geraint Jones that enabled them to reach an excellent 50-over total of 257 for four.

The bowlers then made the most of early afternoon cloud cover and a pitch getting steadily slower to reduce the hosts to 27 for five within 12 overs of their reply.

With the result all but certain, skipper Davis Fulton enjoyed the luxury of bowling Darren Stevens right through his 10 overs and giving a couple more to Matthew Walker, both of whom picked up a brace of wickets apiece.

Talking after the victory Kent’s delighted director of cricket, Graham Ford, said: "It wasn’t the easiest of pitches and batting was a bit tough for our guys at the top of the order there.

"Although we were making decent progress both our openers said afterwards that the ball was nipping around a lot.

"It was comfortably our best one-day batting performance so far and in terms on an individual innings, I felt Geraint batted out of his boots.

"We fielded tightly and as a unit and the bowlers did what they had to, taking decisive wickets early in their reply, to get us through in comfort."

Yet at 10.45am it seemed uncertain what a good score might be on such a testing county ground pitch.

Both Kent openers were beaten by seam and swing movement in the early exchanges and, with his score on nine, might have been caught at slip had Chris Bassano held on to a diving chance off the bowling of Ian Hunter.

As it was, Key escaped and went on to make 41 for his part in an opening stand that raised three-figures inside 19 overs.

From the first ball Jones showed a willingness to take the bowlers on, dancing down the pitch to Graeme Welch’s opening delivery to attempt a lofted drive.

Jones missed on that occasion, but succeeded more often than not thereafter launching into nine fours and two sixes on his way to a top score of 70 from 75-balls and the man-of-the-match award.

Incredibly, this was his first time past 50 on the competition and his first half-century of the summer in his last game for Kent before joining up with England.

As is usually the case after a big stand, both partners fell in the space of an over, Jones clipping a catch to backward point while Key (41) shuffled hesitantly forward to go leg before.

Martin van Jaarsveld (11) suffered a rare failure following an uppish drive to cover and David Fulton perished making room when trying to up the tempo.

But Kent re-grouped with another workmanlike stand between Stevens (47 not out) and Walker (56 not out) who added an unbroken 82 in 12 overs.

With runs aplenty to defend, Kent’s bowlers and Martin Saggers in particular - he took three wickets in his first five overs - ensured the tie was as good as over within 50 minutes of the resumption.

Dangerman Michael Di Venuto edged an attempted run-down to Jones, fellow opener Jonathan Moss meekly pulled to mid-wicket, Hassan Adnan was trapped on the crease, Chris Bassano palpably leg before smearing across the line and Ben Spendlove also launched across the line to Khan.

Luke Sutton hit 41 and Welch 21 in a 60 stand for the sixth wicket that helped save some face, but Kent still wrapped up the win with seven overs to spare to the refrains of "What a load of rubbish" from disenchanted home support.

Derbyshire coach David Houghton could not disagree, he added: "It’s a poor, poor day for the club."

Kent: Jones, Key, van Jaarsveld, Walker, Fulton, Stevens, Carberry, Ferley, Cook, Saggers, Khan.