KENT’S chances of picking up a first AEGON summer County Cup title in four years gathered pace after an emphatic victory over the north of Scotland.

The county were last crowned champions in 2007 but have watched Lancashire and Hertfordshire dominate since then.

However, Kent, led by playing captain Andy Burgoyne, are looking a force to be reckoned with in Eastbourne as they beat their Scottish counterparts 8-1 on Wednesday.

Wet weather on the south coast forced play from the Devonshire Park grass courts and onto the artificial grass mid-afternoon, but this didn’t dampen the Kent squad’s spirits.

They recorded their third consecutive win, following victories over Yorkshire and Derbyshire earlier in the week, and skipper Burgoyne admits his side are peaking at the right time.

He said: “The match was actually closer than the scoreline would suggest but I think when it came to winning the critical points, we did.

“The weather was a bit of a shame but it was still a great day’s tennis and I was very pleased with how the team played as a whole.”

Reigning champions Hertfordshire remain Kent’s biggest challengers for the trophy after they also picked up their third consecutive victory with a 7-2 win against Derbyshire.

Surrey bounced back from their 8-1 defeat at the hands of Herts on Tuesday to record a narrow 5-4 win against Yorkshire.

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