Kent (164 & 149) lost to Essex (573) by an innings and 260 runs in County Championship at Canterbury

Kent's resistance on the final day of their LV= Insurance County Championship Division 1 match with Essex lasted less than five overs on Thursday.

Torrential rain delayed the start until 12.38pm but Kent's fate was quickly sealed as Essex took the two remaining wickets needed to secure a comprehensive win.

Kent resumed on 137-8. In reality, with Matt Milnes’ mobility drastically reduced due to a stress fracture in his back, Kent’s only hope of escaping with a draw was to bat for as long as possible and hope the rain returned.

Milnes, in what was his final act as a Kent player before he moves to Yorkshire next season, lasted three overs before getting a bottom edge to Sam Cook that was taken by a tumbling Nick Browne.

It meant Cook returned second innings figures of 7-33, and 10-60 in the match.

Although dark clouds were hovering, the rain stayed away and the victory was sealed when Jordan Cox (65) edged Jamie Porter (3-50) and fell to a juggling catch by Matt Critchley in the slips, leaving Kent 149 all out.

Kent took just one point from the contest and have edged closer to the relegation zone, with two matches left to play at the end of this month, against Hampshire and Somerset.

Kent head coach Matt Walker said: “I don’t think we deserved the rain to save us really, we haven’t played well enough over three days and if you’re hoping for rain to save you, you know you’re in a pretty tough spot.

"We fought hard last night to try and drag it out till today where we knew the forecast was a bit indifferent, but we didn’t deserve to get anything out of this game.

“The numbers are pretty stark. It was a good cricket wicket, there was a bit in it, it was a good toss to win and we didn’t make the most of those conditions early