Celebrations begin as Kent clinch Division 2 championship crown

Kent v Leicestershire LV County Championship Division 2, Day three. Canterbury.
By Mark Pennell
A CLIPPED single to mid-wicket by vice-captain and leading run-scorer Martin van Jaarsveld secured Kent a second batting bonus point against Leicestershire and clinched the Division 2 title and promotion at the first time of asking.
It was 11.20am and Kent were into the 12th over of the third day“s play when van Jaarsveld turned one off his pads from Andrew Harris and called his sixth-wicket partner Justin Kemp through for a single that took Kent to 250 and van Jaarsveld on to 89.
Some Kent supporters stood to applaud the feat, while the players out on their dressing room balcony simply clapped their team-mates knowing the trophy and £90,000 winners“ cheque was now certainly theirs.
The club will also profit to the tune of £25,000 as part of the ECB“s county performance payment scheme.
The second division trophy will be awarded to the side by Hugh Morris the ECB“s managing director (England Cricket) at the end of the game.
Kent“s faithful had been left on the edge of their seats for 12 balls and eight minutes while waiting for the all important single after night watchman Amjad Khan was dismissed for 16 with the side only a run short of the milestone.
Khan, in going for glory, sliced an attempted cover drive high into the off-side where Josh Cobb took an excellent running catch to give Wayne White a well deserved wicket.
Soon after Kent had reached the landmark they lost Justin Kemp (8) leg-before to a shooter from White, but van Jaarsveld continued to reach his seventh hundred of the season from 122 balls and with 16 fours and a brace of sixes.
The right-hander reached 146 before going just before lunch, caught behind by Tom New off a nicked drive off the bowling of James Benning as Kent went in at lunch on 344 for seven – an overall lead in the match of 196.