Key picks up runs through the leg side

Kent look set to improve on last year's third place after wrapping up a decisive win over the deposed champions.

Opening batsman Robert Key achieved some consolation for missing out on a place in England's Ashes tour party with an unbeaten 33.

Second place will be theirs if Warwickshire fail to beat Sussex at Hove on Saturday.

The earlier part of the day had belonged to their seam attack as Amjad Khan, Martin Saggers and David Masters worked their way through the Yorkshire batting line-up.

Captain Richard Blakey provided the main resistance, as he has so often in recent weeks, and went past 1,000 runs for the summer by making 94 in just over three hours.

He was denied his second century of the season when he was caught behind by Paul Nixon off Masters, after hitting two sixes and 14 fours.

Having started the day on 13 for one, the home side were soon in trouble as Khan and Saggers ran through the top order.

Kent were held up by Blakey and Craig White, who put on 73 for the sixth wicket before spinner Min Patel found a way through White's defence to bowl him for 48.

Blakey fell six short of a century

Richard Dawson (47) then helped Blakey add 98 but the end of the innings was fairly swift once he had been bowled by Mark Ealham.

Khan was the most successful Kent bowler with three for 41, with Saggers and Masters picking up two each.

The visitors were left to score 103 for victory and did so with releative ease, despite Ryan Sidebottom removing David Fulton (12) and Ed Smith (30).

Nixon joined Key for the final stages and was unbeaten on 14 at the end in his final innings for the club.

Yorkshire: S A Richardson, M T G Elliott, C White, A McGrath, M J Lumb, G M Fellows, R J Blakey (Capt, Wkt), R K J Dawson, R J Sidebottom, S P Kirby, N D Thornicroft.

Kent: D P Fulton (Capt), R W T Key, E T Smith, S R Waugh, P A Nixon (Wkt), M A Ealham, M M Patel, D D Masters, A Khan, M J Saggers, J C Tredwell.