A second century in the match by Middlesex's Neil Dexter could not prevent Kent from securing their eighth win of the campaign with barely an hour to spare after they finally broke Middlesex resistance to win by 10 wickets in Uxbridge.

Visiting openers Rob Key and Sam Northeast needed only 31 balls to knock off the 31 runs Kent needed for their maximum-points victory that extended their leadership of the LV County Championship Division Two to 36 points and all but assured promotion.

Kent can wrap up the title in front of their home supporters next week should they secure maximum batting and bowling bonus points against Leicestershire in their last game of the season in Canterbury.

The basis for the last-day win over Middlesex proved to be the off-spin of Kent's James Tredwell and left-armer Rob Ferley who, on the flattest of club pitches, managed to winkle out three apiece and finally dismiss Middlesex in their second innings for 326.

Some five wickets fell in today's afternoon session as the hosts went in at tea on 293 for eight - requiring another three runs to make Key's side bat again.

Former team-mate Dexter proved their major stumbling block, following his career-best 146 in the first innings with a 139-ball ton with 18 fours and a six second time round for his part in a Middlesex record fourth-wicket stand with Dawid Malan worth 202.

The partnership ended soon after lunch when Dexter (118) followed a Tredwell arm-ball to nick to Justin Kemp at slip and make it 235 for four.

Ferley got in on the act by trapping Malan (76) leg before with one that appeared to shoot, and then John Simpson marched down the pitch when pushing defensively to the left-arm spinner to be stumped by Geraint Jones.

All-rounder Gareth Berg also went to Ferley, who appeared to find more turn and bounce with the new ball, and a good catch by Amjad Khan but it was a stunning one-handed take over his shoulder at mid-wicket by Martin van Jaarsveld that lit up the session and accounted for Shaun Udal and make it 264 for eight.

Chris Silverwood was then foxed by a Tredwell ball that turned inside his defensive push and thudded into the pad to send him packing leg before.

Then a mix-up between last pairing, Tim Murtagh and Chris Finn, ended up with the latter slipping after being sent back to be easily run out by Ferley's throw from mid-wicket.

The defeat left Middlesex favourites to collect the championship wooden spoon for the first time in the club's history.