KENT’S player-of-the-season Matthew Walker hit his fourth hundred of summer and the 21st of his first-class career as Kent’s final away game of the season ended in a dull draw with Warwickshire.

With no chance of victory and knowing they could not afford to lose and be drawn into the relegation dogfight in their final game of the season, Kent rightly batted on until after tea in a game that lost its entire second day to rain.

The home crowd, hoping to see their former skipper Nick Knight bat again to score the 15 runs he needed in order to achieve a Warwickshire career average of 50, were hugely unappreciative of Walker’s efforts.

Indeed, when the left-hander got to three figures after 160 minutes and with nine fours and a six, one punter piped up and shouted: "Thanks for boring us to death."

Soon after, Rob Key declared his second innings on 311 for three with Walker unbeaten on 103, while fourth-wicket partner Darren Stevens had passed 50 for the second time in game and was unbeaten on 61.

Batting again with a first innings lead of 103, Kent had lost Joe Denly for 13 - his part of an opening stand of 48 - then skipper Rob Key went one-short of a 50 when he lazily clipped a loose ball from Ian Weswood straight to short mid-wicket.

Martin van Jaarsveld passed 50 for the 13th time this season before he followed in the same manner.

In fading light, Key eventually called time on the innings leaving Warwickshire 75 minutes to chase an impossible victory figure of 415, but at least the Bears’ supporters had the chance to see their retiring hero bat one last time.

In the final innings of his 12th season with the club Knight duly scored his 15th run. It was a clipped single through square-leg off Robbie Joseph and, with Warwickshire on 19-0, the umpires duly offered the light, Knight accepted and walked off to a standing ovation and with a career average of 50.

The day had started with the last rites of Warwickshire’s first innings, they lost their last two wickets for 13 runs both to Simon Cook, who finished with six for 74 - the best bowling figures by a Kent bowler this season.

Banking 12 points for the draw, Kent’s Division 1 status again appears more or less secured. But, with Yorkshire seemingly set for victory over Nottinghamshire, Rob Key's side may still need to pick up several bonus points from next week’s final game at home to Middlesex in order to make sure.

SCORECARD

Kent first innings

J L Denly c Tahir b Carter 86
R W T Key lbw b Carter 25
M van Jaarsveld c Ambrose b Tahir 79
M J Walker lbw b Loudon 19
D I Stevens c & b Streak 61
G O Jones c Ambrose b Cater 50
N J Dexter b Tahir 0
J C Tredwell c Ambrose b Carter 21
S J Cook c Trott b Streak 28
M M Patel c Loudon b Tahir 25
R H Joseph not out 4

Extras 22

Total 421 all out after 119.5 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-56, 2-188, 3-209, 4-249, 5-306, 6-318, 7-358, 8-371, 9-399

Bowling: Tahir 20.5-1-98-3, Streak 30-6-84-2, Carter 32-5-130-4, Harris 22-4-52-0, Loudon 13-0-37-1, Ali 2-1-8-0.

Warwickshire first innings

I J Westwood c Patel b Cook 0
M A Wagh lbw b Joseph 3
M M Ali c van Jaarsveld b Cook 7
I J L Trott c Cook b Tredwell 75
N V Knight c Walker b Patel 52
A G R Loudon lbw b Patel 3
T R Ambrose c van Jaarsveld b Cook77
H H Streak c van Jaarsveld b Cook 56
N M Carter c Stevens b Cook 13
Naqaash Tahir c van Jaarsveld b Cook 7
P L Harris not out 9

Extras 16

Total 318 all out after 92.4 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-1, 2-5, 3-15, 4-127, 5-163, 6-178, 7-275, 8-297, 9-307

Bowling: Cook 19.4-2-74-6, Joseph 16-1-67-1, Stevens 3-1-18-0, Tredwell 30-6-82-1, Patel 18-2-55-2, Denly 6-0-19-0.

Kent second innings

J L Denly c Trott b Streak 13
R W T Key c Knight b Westwood 49
M van Jaarsveld c Knight b Westwood 61
M J Walker not out 103
D I Stevens not out 61

Extras 24

Total 311 for three declared after 70 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-48, 2-88, 3-191

Bowling: Tahir 13-2-51-0, Carter 5-0-36-0, Streak 4-1-15-1, Ali 18-2-91-0, Westwood 18-2-46-2, Knight 9-0-41-0, Wagh 3-0-14-0, Trott 1-0-6-0.

Warwickshire second innings

N V Knight not out 15
M A Wagh not out 3
Extras 1

Total 19 without loss after 3.3 overs bad light stopped play

Bowling: Cook 2-0-9-0, Joseph 1.3-0-10-0.

Match abandoned as a draw

Bonus points: Warwickshire 10pts, Kent 12pts.