Foakes fifty maintains Surrey's momentum

Surrey 311 (Sangakkara 110, Harinath 76, Stevens 4-76) and 128 for 4 (Foakes 57*, Tredwell 3-61) beat Kent 336 (Billings 99, Haggett 80, S Curran 5-101) and 99 (Batty 4-12, S Curran 3-19) by six wickets
Scorecard

Ben Foakes finished unbeaten on 57 as Surrey completed a convincing six-wicket LV= County Championship win against Kent to close to within eight points of Division Two leaders Lancashire.

Surrey, who had bowled Kent out for a second innings 99 to take control of the match, reached their fourth innings target of 125 with few alarms, the 22-point victory being confirmed in 36.1 fourth day overs.

Rory Burns led the way with 46, with Foakes helping the opener to add a valuable 55 for the third wicket. And, as Surrey closed in on the win, Foakes had some fun by pulling Joe Denly's leg spin for six and also twice lifting James Tredwell over the legside boundary for maximums.

In all, Foakes faced 91 balls, hitting three fours besides those three sixes, while Jason Roy hit the winning runs by cover-driving Tredwell, who finished with 3 for 61, for four.

Resuming on 4 for 1, having seen Zafar Ansari bowled by the last ball of day three by Tredwell, Surrey were a nervous 26 for two when Kumar Sangakkara fell for just a single in the sixth over of the morning.

Jumping down the pitch to drive, Sangakkara was beaten by off spinner Tredwell's sharp turn and stumped by wicketkeeper Sam Billings.

Burns, however, looked in good touch from the start, punching Tredwell through mid wicket for the day's first boundary and later lofting him over mid on for another four.

Tredwell was Kent's chief threat in spin-friendly conditions, but both Burns and Foakes, promoted to no 4, played him well as he toiled away from the Pavilion End.

Both needed some good fortune against the turning ball, with two Tredwell deliveries beating them and keeper Billings to fly away for byes.

Foakes, on 21, also edged Tredwell just short of Matt Coles at slip but soon he was hitting him high over mid on for four to keep Surrey moving swiftly towards their target.

It was something of a surprise when Burns was bowled around his legs aiming a sweep at Tredwell, but by then he had hit eight fours in an important 85-ball knock for his team.

Arun Harinath replaced Burns at the crease and joined Foakes in a partnership of 34 before on 14 edging Denly to Tredwell at second slip to leave Surrey 115 for four. But withonly ten more runs required, it did not take Foakes and Roy long to see Surrey over the line.