KENT suffered a last-day panic attack to slip to a dramatic 157-run defeat to Durham at a gloomy and rain-swept Riverside.

The game ended controversially when, with only 9.3 overs of the match remaining and in deepening gloom, Kent's last man Robbie Joseph ducked into a Steve Harmison bouncer to be hit on the side of his helmet.

The Antiguan-born player went down onto his haunches with blood coming from a head injury and was forced to retire hurt to herald Durham's second victory of the campaign.

Bad light and three breaks for showers had seemingly put paid to any chances of a positive result even though Durham declared after the first interruption on 319 for six, setting the visitors 327 to win from the remaining 72 overs of the day.

The asking rate of 4.5 was an attractive one, but once Kent lost skipper Rob Key (11) in the 12th over and the heavens opened again at 2pm with the loss of another nine overs, their target became an impossible one

Key had miscued an attempted hook off his former England team-mate Steve Harmison to long-leg to give the gangly Test paceman the first of three somewhat lucky wickets.

In poor light, Martin van Jaarsveld continued his dismal run of championship form by nicking a leg-side flick into the gloves of Phil Mustard then, after another unscheduled break, Matt Walker (1) flicked lazily to the on-side to see Liam Plunkett pull off an athletic catch at square leg.

Three down for 55, it was now a matter of survival for Kent and 21-year-old Denly did his bit to front the rearguard action.

He might have run himself out early on had a shy from mid-wicket hit the stumps and then, with his score on 13, Kyle Coetzer failed to hold on to a one-handed chance at short-leg as Denly tried to work to mid-wicket.

Once settled the young right-hander hooked a Graham Onions bouncer for six on the way to a 71-ball half-century and, together with Darren Stevens (35) helped post 76 in 22 overs before Stevens nicked a Plunkett leg-cutter to the keeper.

Jones, who suffered a nightmare match, soon went for only a single when leg before to Onions, then Hall's loose drive in the Plunkett's next over flew to Paul Collingwood at third slip and with 18 overs remaining Durham scented blood.

Arafat (6) drove airily to be caught behind to become Plunkett's third victim then Harmison changed ends to polish the job off.

He went around the wicket to have Denly caught behind for a championship best 92, caught off the gloves when hooking then, three balls later, James Tredwell nicked a bat-pad catch to backward square leg to go without scoring.

Joseph's miserable time in the north-east - his 14 overs in the game cost 113 runs - then concluded with a sickening blow on the helmet from Harmison that confirmed the defeat shortly before 6pm.

Durham expect to lose Harmison, Plunkett and Collingwood for their next game with Warwickshire on Wednesday when England name their Test squad to take on the West Indies.

Kent, however, will take a week off after the long drive home and are next in action at St Lawrence next Sunday, May 20, in a Friends Provident Trophy tie against Glamorgan scheduled for a 10.45am start.

SCORECARD

Durham first innings

M J Di Venuto not out 204
W R Smith lbw b Arafat 13
P D Collingwood b Arafat 0
K J Coetzer b Tredwell 74
D M Benkenstein c McLaren b Tredwell 2
P Mustard b McLaren 23
G T Park lbw b McLaren 0
L E Plunkett c Jones b Tredwell 35
G Onions c&b Tredwell 4
S J Harmison c Jones b McLaren 5
Extras 42

Total 407 all out after 86.5 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-46, 2-46, 3-227, 4-243, 5-286, 6-290, 7-296, 8-359, 9-367.

Bowling: Yasir Arafat 17-2-85-2, Joseph 8-0-62-0, McLaren 19.5-0-91-4, Hall 10-0-48-0, Tredwell 27-2-88-4, Stevens 5-1-15-0.

Kent first innings

R W T Key lbw b Onions 169
J L Denly c Mustard b Harmison 17
M van Jaarsveld lbw b Plunkett 10
M J Walker c Mustard c Plunkett 72
D I Stevens b Plunkett 10
G O Jones b Harmison 1
A J Hall c Harmison b Plunkett 42
Yasir Arafat b Harmison 17
R McLaren b Plunkett 1
J C Tredwell c Mustard b Harmison 25
R H Joseph not out 7
Extras 28

Total 400 all out after 113.3 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-45, 2-74, 3-247, 4-282, 5-283, 6-318, 7-362, 8-363, 9-385.

Bowling: Onions 23-1-92-1, Harmison 24.3-3-75-4, Plunkett 32-5-105-5, Collingwood 14-3-27-0, Breese 14-0-55-0, Benkenstein 6-1-22-0.

Durham second innings

W R Smith lbw b Hall 21
M J Di Venuto lbw b Hall 58
P D Collingwood b Arafat 58
K J Coetzer b Hall 3
D M Benkenstein not out 77
P Mustard lbw b Arafat 3
G T Park c Jones b Hall 61
G R Breese not out 0
Extras 36

Total 319 for six after 72.5 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-49, 2-144, 3-148, 4-150, 5-173, 6-318.

Bowling: Yasir Arafat 19.5-3-85-2, Hall 17-3-68-4, McLaren 10-2-33-0, Joseph 6-0-51-0, Tredwell 13-1-47-0, Stevens 7-3-19-0.

Kent second innings

R W T Key c Plunkett b Harmison 11
J L Denly c Mustard b Harmison 92
M van Jarsveld c Mustard b Harmison 0
M J Walker c Plunkett b Harmison 1
D I Stevens c Mustard b Plunkett 350
G O Jones lbw b Onions 1