Kent were consigned to a miserable County Championship Division 1 defeat by an innings and 21 runs against Warwickshire inside three days on Saturday.
The visitors were bowled out in their second innings for 243 at Edgbaston as Warwickshire’s seamers completed the job they started on their opponents on the first morning.
Bowled out for 156 first time round, Kent managed a little more with their second attempt, even against the Kookaburra ball on an easing pitch as Oliver Hannon-Dalby took 6-43 and 9-74 in the match.
Only all-rounder Joey Evison (65) offered prolonged resistance as the visitors’ season delivered a sixth successive County Championship defeat and another shunt towards relegation.
Injuries to Tawanda Muyeye and Grant Stewart only added to a disappointing three days in the West Midlands for Matt Walker’s side.
Kent head coach Walker reflected: “It’s the same problem, unfortunately – we can’t get in games.
“First-innings deficits are created by a lack of runs and then it’s how we follow up with the bowling.
“Too often, we’re out of the game very quickly and it happened again this week. They bowled pretty well but 156 was never going to be a score that would threaten them.
“Straight away after day one, we were right on the back foot and, by the end of day two, we were having to try and survive again.
“We weren’t able to match what they did with the ball and leaked too many runs.
“That’s the difference between good sides and those who are struggling – the ability to apply pressure over and over again – and we just can’t do it.”
After Kent resumed on the third morning 157-3, they advanced comfortably enough to 171 before Hannon-Dalby hit them with a burst of three for six in 14 balls.
Sharp in-duckers trapped Jack Leaning and Muyeye lbw and Charlie Stobo sent his first ball to Rob Yates at second slip.
Hannon-Dalby was six tenths of the way to an all-10 but that pathway was then ended by Ed Barnard (2-51), who trapped Stewart and followed up with the wicket of Matt Parkinson. Parkinson edged to wicketkeeper Michael Burgess.
Alfie Ogborne edged Michael Rae (1-46) to slip before Evison – running out of partners – lifted Barnard for six to reach a 93-ball half-century.
Evison batted impressively in both innings but when another attempt to clear the ropes, off Michael Booth, found only Alex Davies at long-on, another County Championship ordeal for Kent was complete.
Warwickshire’s Division 1 status appears safe for another year after victory as other teams in the bottom half of the table struggled in their games around the country but Kent are 35 points from safety and rapidly running out of time to do anything about it this season.
Kent will next be in County Championship Division 1 action against Hampshire at Canterbury from Monday, September 9.
