Matthew Fleming took his team to victory by scoring 105 in 104 balls; an innings containing both glorious and clattering strokes.

The students missed their chance after batting first on a slowly turning and occasionally surprising pitch; losing early wickets in the face of some probing swing bowling.

Anurag Singh and James Pyemont were swiftly back in the pavilion, Singh caught behind as he drove without quite moving into position and his partner beaten by a straight ball from Alan Igglesden in the same one.

Greg Loveridge flirted at a ball better left alone and was expertly caught behind and Will House did not long detain his county chums, driving to cover as his team slumped to 45 for four. Ben Phillips had used his height to move the ball about. He has taken the place of Martin McCague, who is recovering slowly from his torment in Taunton last year, the beamers and the banning.

The students' fortunes took a turn for the better as Mark Chilton and Luke Sutton added 98 in 25 overs. They were a contrasting combination; Chilton tall and given to driving stylishly through cover and his colleague more pugnaciously inclined and relying on sweeps and placements square of the wicket. Both batted thoughtfully and gathered pace as circumstances improved.

Eventually Chilton departed, beaten as he advanced at Min Patel. Sutton followed at 176, yorked as he tried to force the pace, and the Universities declined. Only Andrew Strauss, sustained their innings with a frisky 29 in 32 balls.

Kent's pursuit of an undemanding target began badly as Trevor Ward misjudged a pull, but Fleming and Matthew Walker soon had the board hurrying along. Walker drove through cover and his partner played a wide range of belligerent strokes.

Not until spin was introduced did the scoring slow and a flurry of wickets fell as Walker was held at midwicket, Carl Hooper swept sleepily, and Graham Cowdrey was superbly caught and bowled to leave Kent at 102 for four.

But Fleming was in full flow and found in Mark Ealham a staunch partner as Kent rushed to victory with 10 overs to spare.