Somerset v Kent day four

Kent slipped quietly and quickly to a 246-run defeat in Taunton on Saturday where Somerset needed only 50 minutes to wrap up the win that took them temporarily to the top of the LV Championship Division 1 table.

With skipper Rob Key still home in Kent with his wife Fleur and their baby son, who was born on Friday afternoon, Somerset only needed to get nine wickets and they did so courtesy of Steffan Jones.

Kent's seventh-wicket pair Geraint Jones and Ryan McLaren (23) showed some resistance with a stand of 54, Jones moving to a season's best 53 not out and a half-century from 113 balls and with five fours and three sixes.

But then Steffan Jones had McLaren caught behind from a leg-cutter that moved away and grazed the outside edge and, with the next ball, Robbie Joseph had his off stump removed by a quick, full one.

In Jones's next over Martin Saggers steered a lifter to Hildreth at gully to send Somerset into raptures having completed a Division 1 double over Kent in their first season back in the top flight.

A weary Kent took only four points from the game, while Somerset banked a maximum 22.

Jones finished with a season's best haul of 5-53 while the other four wickets were shared.

Kent's seemingly relentless schedule - they have had three days off in two months - continues on Sunday when they open their NatWest Pro40 Division 2 campaign against the Warwickshire Bears in Birmingham.

They go to Edgbaston without Darren Stevens, who had scans on a torn groin on Friday and who now faces a race to be fit in time fro next Saturday's Twenty20 Cup finals day at The Rose Bowl.

Matt Walker continues to deputise, while Azhar Mahmood, Simon Cook and Key are added to the squad that finished the game in the west country.

Kent from:Key, Denly, Walker, van Jaarsveld, Kemp, Jones, Arafat, Mahmood, McLaren, Cook, Saggers, Joseph, Tredwell.