Winless Kent recorded their lowest first-class score for 31 years during their 10-wicket defeat to Worcestershire on Saturday.

Their second innings total of 63 was Kent’s lowest score since 1982 when Nottinghamshire skittled them out for 57.

Much of the two-day LV= County Championship Division 2 defeat was played under floodlights at Canterbury with the hosts replacing the visitors at the foot of the table as a result of their disappointing performance.

Matt Coles took 5-31 for Kent but there was little to enjoy with the bat as only six players reached double figures.

Veteran seamer Alan Richardson collected 10 wickets in a game for only the third time in his career, taking 7-22 in 14.3 overs as Kent folded on the afternoon of day two.

Richardson set the tone in Kent’s first innings, taking 5-41 as they collapsed first from 35-0 to 65-5 and then from 90-5 to 94-8.

Only some lower-order resistance from Mark Davies (40 in 51 balls) enabled Kent to emerge with some respectability when they were dismissed for 159. Sam Northeast had earlier scored his first half-century of the season at the top of the order but only Geraint Jones (16) of the recognised batsmen joined him in double figures.

Davies took two early wickets in Worcestershire’s reply and Charlie Shreck trapped Matthew Pardoe in front as the visitors struggled to 34-3. However, two half-century partnerships helped them to a narrow first-innings lead of 35 runs. Moeen Ali scored 54, while Michael Johnson made 38. Davies went on to take 3-52 but it was Coles’ five-wicket haul that helped keep the home side in the game.

Any hopes Kent had of setting Worcestershire a tough target were all over by tea as Richardson got to work.

Ben Harmison, making his first championship appearance of the season in place of the injured Daniel Bell-Drummond, top scored with 19 and Jones made 11 but it was a tale of woe as wickets fell at regular intervals.

Kent were all out for just 63 in 28.3 overs with Gareth Andrew (3-24) supporting Richardson’s virtual one-man show. It took the visitors just 23 minutes to reach their victory target of 29 without alarm, leaving Kent to take just three points from two days of disappointing cricket.