A STUNNING Ed Smith century and a breathtaking opening burst from paceman Mohammad Sami helped orchestrate Kent’s excellent 52-run National League win over title-chasing Glamorgan in Maidstone on Sunday.

A 4,200 crowd at The Mote were royally entertained as Spitfires upset the form book to land only their third win of an otherwise disappointing campaign by out-performing their limited overs’ bogey side in all departments.

Batting first after losing the toss, Kent were given their best start of the league season to date when Smith and Rob Key posted 106 inside 20 overs for the first wicket.

Unsurprisingly Key, released from the England squad for today’s clash and hopeful of playing here again in Wednesday’s championship clash with Nottinghamshire, looked a little rusty.

With just one Kent game under his belt in almost six weeks Key struggled for timing and hit just one boundary in his 65-ball innings of 40.

He was given a life on six when Dean Cosker missed a run out, then again on 36 when the same player downed a return catch off his own bowling, as Key played second fiddle until chipping a catch to long off.

Smith, a one-day revelation in recent weeks after being dropped for Kent’s first four Twenty20 Cup-ties, raced to 50 with a six off Alex Wharf and from just 40 balls.

He slowed down a little thereafter and hit just one four in his second 50, but had every right to be delighted with his maiden league century from 97 balls and with nine fours and a six.

Despite losing Andrew Symonds for a steady 46 when reverse sweeping, Smith went on to loft three more sixes – two of which came from consecutive Robert Croft deliveries – until the Welsh spinner had his revenge with a catch in the deep.

Geraint Jones perished in the late slog, but Matt Walker (27 not out) and Mark Ealham revelled to add an unbroken 66 for the fifth wicket in the last five overs.

Ealham, who blasted a 44-ball century here eight seasons ago, rolled back the years to hit an unbeaten 50 from 22 balls with seven fours and two sixes to give Kent a very defendable total.

Sami then raced in from the Town End to all-but win the match with a seven-over opening burst of three for 25 that silenced the enthralled audience and snuffed out the Dragons’ fire.

His sheer pace ruffled the entire Glamorgan top five and Michael Powell received a fearsome blow on the gloves, while Adrian Dale ran a leg bye after being cracked on the helmet.

In between times, Sami uprooted Jimmy Maher’s off stump, trapped Croft leg before with a quick, full-length ball, and removed David Hemp to a catch at the wicket after the left-hander gloved an attempted and hurried pull-shot.

Matthew Maynard top-scored with a patient 72 from 76 balls as he and Dale (36) tried to rebuild the innings with 108 from 19 overs before both went in the space of two overs.

Maynard danced down the track to league debutant Rob Ferley to be stumped then, eight balls later, Dale was sent back by Mark Wallace to be run out by David Fulton from mid-on.

The end soon followed for Glamorgan as Ferley ran through the middle order with three for 59 to send the county town crowd home happy as Kent won with 20-balls to spare.