It is still something of a novelty for Durham, the game’s youngest county, to be considered strong favourites and, on this evidence, it is a label that hangs heavily around their necks. Graham Ford, the Kent director of cricket, had described Durham’s team for this Friends Provident Trophy semi-final as “like reading down a World Select XI”, but the Spitfires were comfortably the better side yesterday, knocking out the holders to reach their first Lord’s final since 1997. On August 16, they will meet the winner of today’s semi-final between Essex and Yorkshire at Chelmsford.

Not every county can summon the likes of Paul Collingwood and Shaun Pollock to bolster their ranks, as Durham did here, but Kent have high-class players of their own, not least Joe Denly and Martin van Jaarsveld, whose contrasting centuries underpinned a winning total of 301 for four.

On a benign pitch, Durham kept pace with the required run-rate for much of their chase, but they also kept losing wickets. So much so that they committed the cardinal sin of leaving 6.5 overs unused and Dale Benkenstein, their inspirational captain, marooned on 79 not out. Given greater support, he might have played a match-winning innings.

With the possibility of a place in the lucrative Champions League tournament, the finals day of the Twenty20 Cup has a greater financial lure for counties this season, but the prospect of a Lord’s final still stirs players’ emotions. Both these teams have Twenty20 quarter-finals this week, but Kent can look forward to the final of this competition with confidence.

In Denly, 22, they have an opening batsman whose star is on the rise. Playing strokes all round the wicket, he took the attack to the Durham bowlers during the powerplays. Pollock, making his debut in this competition after signing for the Twenty20 Cup, was put off his length as Denly used his feet to drive with the sweetest of timing. “Whenever we have a big occasion, Joe does the stuff for us,” Robert Key, the Kent captain, said.

Denly’s most anxious moments came against Stephen Harmison, who ran in with real intent and regularly bowled above 90mph. On 54, Denly was knocked on to his backside when a short ball from Harmison thudded into his helmet. Undaunted, he picked himself up to reach his century from 122 balls, with 15 fours.

Once Harmison had wreaked his revenge, bowling Denly in a superb second spell of 5-0-13-3, Van Jaarsveld took over. After hitting two centuries against Surrey in the County Champ-ionship this week, he produced an immaculate 85-ball hundred. Pacing himself perfectly, he hit out towards the end of the innings, striking Albie Morkel for 20 from the final over.

With the Test series against South Africa starting on Thursday, Collingwood had changed his mind about playing in this game in the hope of regaining some form. He was quickly into action when Durham were reduced to two for two after only nine balls. He scraped together a run-a-ball 36 before he was leg-before to Ryan McLaren and, at 56 for three, Durham looked in trouble. Will Smith joined Benkenstein in a fourth-wicket stand of 107 but, with James Tredwell bowling a teasing spell of off spin, Durham lost their last five wickets for ten runs and a first trophy in county cricket had been prised from their grasp.

Kent

J L Denly b Harmison 102

*R W T Key c Mustard b Harmison 40

M van Jaarsveld not out 122

Azhar Mahmood b Harmison 14

J M Kemp b Harmison 5

D I Stevens not out 12

Extras (lb 5, w 1) 6

Total (4 wkts, 50 overs) 301

†G O Jones, R McLaren, Yasir Arafat, J C Tredwell and R H Joseph did not bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-96, 2-196, 3-228, 4-248.

Bowling: Pollock 10-0-51-0; Killeen 7-0-42-0; Plunkett 10-2-36-0; Harmison 10-0-47-4; Morkel 7-0-75-0; Breese 5-0-31-0; Collingwood 1-0-14-0.

Durham

M J Di Venuto lbw b Azhar 2

†P Mustard c Jones b Arafat 0

W R Smith lbw b Stevens 56

P D Collingwood lbw b McLaren 36

*D M Benkenstein not out 79

J A Morkel c McLaren b Tredwell 9

S M Pollock c Kemp b Arafat 18

G R Breese st Jones b Tredwell 1

L E Plunkett run out 1

S J Harmison b Tredwell 1

N Killeen run out 0

Extras (lb 7, w 5, nb 2) 14

Total (43.1 overs) 217

Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-2, 3-56, 4-163, 5-174, 6-207, 7-213, 8-215, 9-216.

Bowling: Azhar 6-1-17-1; Arafat 7-0-47-2; McLaren 6.1-0-32-1; Joseph 4-0-35-0; Tredwell 10-1-37-3; Stevens 10-3-42-1.

Umpires: R A Kettleborough and N A Mallender.

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