D'Oliveira hundred can't stop Kent's march up to second

Dudgeon, Mahmud and Milnes overcome Worcestershire resistance for hard-earned win

Kent 238 (Bell-Drummond 52, Taylor 3-55) and 358 (Northeast 132, Crawley 54, Taylor 4-68) beat Worcestershire 217 (Lategan 59, Hose 50, Mahmud 4-68) and 295 (D'Oliveira 103*, Milnes 3-51, Mahmud 3-51, Dudgeon 3-63) by 84 runs

Kent moved clear of their closest rivals in the Rothesay County Championship Division Two promotion race, with an 84-run win over Worcestershire at Canterbury.

The margin may suggest otherwise, but this was one of Kent's most dogged wins of the season, ground out despite a century from Brett D'Oliveira. For long periods the Pears looked like chasing down the 380 they needed to win, but after they'd reached 265 for 5, Keith Dudgeon took three wickets in 19 balls. Hasan Mahmud and Matt Milnes also took three wickets each, as the visitors' last five wickets fell for just 30 runs, leaving D'Oliveira stranded on 103.

The win means Kent are now 15 points clear of third-placed Northamptonshire, with three matches remaining.

Worcestershire began the final day as heavy underdogs, on 84 for 3, but the overnight duo of D'Oliveira and Adam Hose looked comfortable early on, until Hasan had the latter plumb on the back pad for 38. Henry Cullen then joined D'Oliveira for a stand that took them to 199 for 4 at lunch.

Their partnership of 86 was broken when Hasan switched to the Nackington Road End and bowled Cullen for 45 with the fourth ball of the afternoon session, but the momentum again swung behind Worcestershire as Matthew Waite joined D'Oliveira, who drove Dudgeon for two to bring up his century.

The duo looked comfortable until the game turned on its head when Waite chopped on to Dudgeon for 37. The South African overseas player seemed a bowler revived, subsequently trapping Tom Taylor with one that jagged back with the final ball of the session, to make it 283 for 7 at tea.

Dudgeon went round the wicket to Beyers Swanepoel for the first ball after the resumption and sent his leg stump flying for a golden duck.

Hasan then took the new ball and got Ben Allison lbw for a duck, before Milnes wrapped things up when he replaced Dudgeon at the Nackington Road End and had Adam Finch caught by Tawanda Muyeye at second for 7.