Superb Worcestershire secured their second successive win in the Vitality County Championship to greatly enhance their hopes of cementing Division One status. They overcame Kent by eight wickets at Visit Worcestershire New Road.
Tom Taylor and Joe Leach picked up the final two Kent wickets to leave Worcestershire with a modest victory target of 101.
Although openers Gareth Roderick and Jake Libby fell cheaply, a fine unbeaten half-century from Kashif Ali, with solid support from Rob Jones, ensured victory for Worcestershire.
The third wicket pair added an unbroken 69.
Another excellent all-round performance from Worcestershire earned them 23 points courtesy of 16 for a win, four for batting and three for bowling.
It followed from victory in their previous Championship game against Durham at the Seat Unique Riverside, albeit nearly seven weeks ago.
Worcestershire were in the ascendancy for the bulk of the game once Kent lost 10 wickets for 98 runs in their first innings after being 73-0 at one stage.
Two players returning from lengthy spells out through injury made significant contributions.
Leach, who is retiring at the end of the season, produced a six-wicket haul in Kent’s first innings in his first appearance for three months after a recurrence of a knee problem.
His initial spell of three wickets in 13 balls proved pivotal in starting the Kent collapse.
Club Captain Brett D’Oliveira has been troubled by a shoulder injury. Still, he returned after having extensive rehab during the past month to score 97 from 90 balls and change the game’s momentum in Worcestershire’s favour.
D’Oliveira scored more freely and fluently than any other player up to that point in the game and richly deserved a century to mark his comeback.
Roderick, with a half-century and seven catches behind the stumps, Adam Hose, Jones, and Ethan Brookes also played key roles with the bat, while Taylor bowled well throughout and deserved a more tangible reward than his five wickets in the game.
Kent are now facing an uphill battle to maintain their top-flight status after suffering their sixth defeat in ten games.
The big plus point for them was the stunning form with the bat of Tawanda Muyeye, who hit a half-century and a career-best 211.
Kent resumed on 353-8 – an overall lead of 76 after the last over dismissal of Muyeye yesterday evening by James Hartshorn.
Taylor continued his impressive form with the ball throughout the game, going past the outside edge on several occasions.
Leach came into the attack for James Hartshorn, and in his first over, Alfie Ogborne survived a confident lbw shout.
There was a deserved fourth wicket for Taylor when Jordan’s off stump was sent cartwheeling out of the ground after he attempted a drive at a swinging delivery.
Leach wrapped up the winnings when George Garrett (6) pushed forward, and Gareth Roderick held onto a low chance away to his left.
It was Roderick’s fourth catch of the innings and seventh of a game where he has gone past 100 dismissals for Worcestershire.
Smith ended with figures of 27-2-99-4, Hartshorn 18-3-71-2, Adam Finch 13-1-72-2 and Leach 22.5-2-74-1.
When Worcestershire launched their reply, Roderick (9) was caught and bowled off a straight drive by Jordan, and fellow opener Jake Libby (12) shouldered arms and was bowled by Garrett.
Kashif Ali was soon into his stride with a trio of boundaries and a straight drive for four by Rob Jones off Garrett brought up the 50 in the 13th over.
Rain then caused a 40-minute delay after lunch and the loss of 10 overs.
But Kashif was in a hurry to wrap up proceedings and twice cut on loan Alfie Ogborne for four and turned the same bowler off his legs to the ropes.
He made his half-century from 67 balls, with 10 fours, and another boundary off Ogborne, which also sealed victory.
Worcestershire Head Coach Alan Richardson said: “I am delighted, certainly for the boys. They’ve worked incredibly hard over the last three and a half days, and the performance deserved a victory. It was nice to get over the line.
“If you look at their first innings, Obviously Joe (Leach) will get the rewards (with six wickets) and quite rightly so, but everyone contributed in that respect.
“Then, with the bat, we chipped in all the way down, had some really valuable partnerships led by Dolly, who I thought played really well and gave us some rhythm in the middle of our innings.
“It was vintage Dolly for me, he was really busy; in a flash, he was on 30, not out, and he did it his way, played to his strengths and took the game away from Kent.
“Without the contributions of Rodders, Libbs, Rob Jones and Hosey before that, he wouldn’t have been able to do that and he will be the first to appreciate that.
“Then we had to work really hard yesterday. Fair pay to Kent, they made us work really hard in that third innings, but we stuck at it yesterday, and that’s what four-day cricket is about, doing it over a long period of time.
“We talked about it in the lead-up to this game, doing the basics for as long as we can, and we did that really well.
“Tom Taylor missed the first chunk of seven games through injury so for him to be making the contributions he is making are vital.
“We knew when we signed him we were going to get a quality cricketer. I thought he bowled beautifully throughout and he has been appreciated up in the dressing room in the team song.”
