Yorkshire's sorry season ends without home win

Yorkshire finished their dismal County Championship season yesterday without a home win for only the fifth time in their history as they crashed to an eight-wicket defeat by Kent inside three days.

Yorkshire finished their dismal County Championship season yesterday without a home win for only the fifth time in their history as they crashed to an eight-wicket defeat by Kent inside three days.

The Tykes were skittled for 283 in their second innings and Kent had little trouble in reaching their target of 103 to put the pressure on Warwickshire in the battle for runner-up spot in the First Division. Robert Key's unbeaten 33 and Paul Nixon's 14 not out guided Kent home.

Yorkshire's misery was compounded by a 1.75 point deduction for a slow over rate.

Adam Hollioake hit an unbeaten 146 from 152 balls at The Oval to steer Surrey into a 468-run lead on the third day of their First Division match with Lei-cestershire. It was only the Surrey captain's second century in the competition this season and in tandem with Ali Brown's unbeaten 89 it put the game beyond the visitors.

Gloucestershire rounded off their County Championship campaign with a rare 10-wicket win in the battle of the Second Division's bottom two sides at Bristol. But there was to be no happy ending for their opponents Durham as they slumped to their 11th defeat of a disappointing season.