Nottinghamshire v Kent

Kent secured a tense three-wicket victory to open their LV Championship win account against Nottinghamshire - the side who beat them at home by 10 wickets in last month's opening round of games.

On the final day of a thrilling game of cricket at Trent Bridge, Kent reached their target of 244 only 15 minutes after the lunch break when Ryan McLaren clattered a boundary through mid-wicket off the bowling of Samit Patel.

At the other end Yasir Arafat finished unbeaten on 36 while the boundary took McLaren to 37 as Kent bank 18 points while Nottinghamshire take four.

Overnight fifth-wicket partners Martin van Jaarsveld and Justin Kemp, resuming on 129-4, took Kent's score on to 159 before things started getting nervy.

Having posted his seventh 50 in all cricket this season from 79 balls and with eight fours, van Jaarsveld was undone by the sharp cricketing brain and the excellent execution of left-arm swing bowler Ryan Sidebottom.

Sensing that the Kent pair were becoming comfortable at the crease Sidebottom went around the wicket and, with only his second ball, pegged back van Jaarsveld's off stump with an in-ducker that kept just a touch low.

It ended a brave stand of 35 and brought in Geraint Jones. Sidebottom maintained his ploy, but also introduced a leg-gully. First ball up Jones, in trying to fend a shortish delivery off his left hip, picked out Mark Ealham in the leg-gully to make it 159 for six.

Ryan McLaren survived the hat-trick ball by pushing a single through mid-wicket but, 14 runs and seven overs on, Kemp (19) went hard after a Charlie Shreck slower ball and drove straight into the hands of Matt Wood at extra cover and in came Yasir Arafat with 71 runs still needed.

Sidebottom gave way after a spell of 10-3-15-2 and, because they were well behind with their over rate, Nottinghamshire were bound to bring on the off-spin of Patel.

Feeling that this was his chance, Kent counter attacked through Arafat, who went down the pitch to loft a four over mid-on and then rocked back to lash a short one through the covers.

With the over rate improved Patel was withdrawn from the Radcliffe Road End and replaced by Stuart Broad who, at the start of the day, had tended to stray toward leg stump.

Again the young England paceman struggled for control, allowing Arafat width outside off to square drive another precious boundary. Two balls later Broad over-pitched and Arafat cashed in with three through mid-on as eight came off the last over before lunch.