TWENTY20 CUP SOUTH DIVISION, Beckenham:
Kent 184-7 beat Surrey 168-9 by 16 runs (Kent 2pts, Surrey 0pts)

McLaren picked up his best ever Twenty20 figures of 4-37

Kent secured top spot in the Twenty20 Cup South Division and a home quarter-final against Durham next month with a 16-run win over Surrey at Beckenham.

Batting first after winning the toss, the hosts racked up 184-7 thanks mainly to Martin van Jaarsveld's 64 and wicketkeeper Geraint Jones's 47.

All of Surrey's top six then made at least 20 to give them hope of victory.

But Ryan McLaren took 4-37 as the visitors lost five wickets for 38 runs to close on 168-9.

After Joe Denly (19) and Rob Key (17) had been removed by Chris Jordan and Matt Spriegel respectively, van Jaarsveld and Jones combined to share 96 in just nine overs for the third wicket.

Off-spinner Spriegel (4-33) also accounted Darren Stevens and Justin Kemp in successive balls, but McLaren survived the hat-trick delivery to close the innings with a cameo 18 from 10 balls.

An experimental Surrey side without eight first-team regulars, including Mark Ramprakash and Mark Butcher, were always likely to struggle to keep up with the required rate of 9.2 per over.

And, even though all of the top order made starts, none of them could go on to play a match-winning innings.

Chris Murtagh top-scored with 28 from 23 balls. But, when the required rate was ramped up to 11 off the final five overs, Surrey cracked under the pressure applied by McLaren.

Kent's home quarter-final with Durham will be played some time in the final week of July.

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