Date-stamped : 08 Sep97 - 02:08 AXA Life Sunday League: Smith takes his opportunity to lead Kent home By Richard Bright at Canterbury Kent (139-1) beat Gloucestershire (136-9) by 9 wkts KENT eased their way to the top of the Axa Life League with a convincing and comfortable victory over Gloucestershire. The sixth boundary by Ed Smith, aged 20, provided the winning runs as they passed a modest target of 137 with nearly 12 overs to spare. They now lead Warwickshire by two points going into the final round of matches next weekend. Victory against Yorkshire at Headingley will earn Kent their second Sunday League title in three years and confidence is high af- ter this impressive all-round display. watched by nearly 5,000 at the St Lawrence Ground. Trevor Ward dominated Kent`s opening stand of 72 in 17 overs with Smith. He scored his first fifty off only 51 balls, includ- ing three sixes, two of them in one over off Jon Lewis, pulling power- fully to the mid-on boundary. Four balls later, however, he was defeated by Mark Alleyne but his departure allowed Smith to blossom, supported by the ex- peri- ence of Alan Wells as they saw Kent home to victory. Wells would have enjoyed watching Smith`s strokeplay. The youngster, given limited opportunities in the Sunday League this season, made an impressive 72 not out in his first 40-over innings at Portsmouth the previous week and once again played his shots to perfection. Three fours came in one over as he raised his momentum after a slow start, his fifty coming off 76 balls. Gloucestershire`s record of only seven wins in 28 meetings had looked set for improvement when Alleyne won the toss and saw his side reach 52 without loss. Openers Tim Hancock and Bobby Dawson had giv- en them a solid enough platform but the visitors then lost their way badly. Mark Ealham broke through to bowl Dawson for 27 and then two more wickets fell in successive overs. Alan Igglesden, playing only his fifth Sunday match of the season, had Shaun Young caught be- hind by Steve Marsh and then Monte Lynch was run out without scoring. Lynch failed to beat a direct throw from Nigel Llong from mid- wicket and Gloucestershire were treading water at 55 for three. Hancock`s 74-ball stay ended when he was caught at deep mid-on by Graham Cowdrey and then Matthew Windows was trapped lbw by Dean Headley. Windows`s downfall left Gloucestershire at 90 for five before Matthew Fleming, Kent`s leading wicket-taker in the competi- tion for the second successive season, got to work. He dismissed Martyn Ball and Richard Williams in the same over, before Alleyne`s vigil came to an end when he was bowled by Ealham, all three wickets falling with the total at 114. Richard Davis and Mike Smith, Gloucestershire`s ninth-wicket pair, managed to sustain the innings for another four overs be- fore Fleming earned himself figures of three for 19 by bowling Smith. Paul Strang led Kent out at the start in his final Sunday league appearance of the season. His contribution in this partic- ular game was small but the ovation given to him both before the start and at the end indicated what a favourite he has be- come. He flies home to Zimbabwe next weekend to prepare for the Test series against New Zealand. Having got Kent this far, he will be disappointed if they do not win the title. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)