BIG-HITTING Essex openers Ronnie Irani and Will Jefferson launched the Eagles to an impressive victory in Colchester that virtually condemns Kent to life in totesport League Division 2 next summer.

The Essex pair posted 196 for the first wicket inside 33 overs with a barrage of clubbing that left Kent’s bowlers both shell-shocked and nursing a selection of sorry figures.

Though Kent’s reply started smartly enough, they faded away after the demise of their openers and ultimately the Spitfires went down with barely a whimper, let alone a fight.

Host skipper Irani made the most of a shirtfront pitch at the Castle Park ground by batting first and hammering half a dozen sixes and as many fours in his 98 from 111-balls.

The six feet 10 inch Jefferson kept him company with 97 from 94 balls that included 11 fours and a brace of sixes.

Matt Dennington’s eight overs cost 60 and Michael Bevan’s three went for 19 until he split a finger in trying to stop a blistering Irani drive, but at least Alex Loudon tasted success with a competition-best return of four for 48.

It needed a run out to end the run glut and a slice of luck for Kent as Irani, in wanting a single to mid-wicket, slipped after being sent back and was left floundering by Matt Walker’s direct hit.

Jefferson’s fun ended when he missed another attempted big hit to go leg before to Loudon in the 35th over.

Having scored in excess of a run a ball Eagles lost the momentum somewhat once the field pushed out, but even so Kent’s plan to bowl spinners in tandem never stemmed the flow.

Andrew Flower (27) and Andre Adams (17) briefly flourished, until James Tredwell’s regulation catch at deep mid-wicket accounted for the former, while David Fulton’s stunning running effort at mid-on sent back Adams.

Opening for the first time in the league this season, Fulton joined forces with Ed Smith to make a decent fist of the Spitfires replay in an opening stand worth 73 in 14 overs.

Fulton contributed 39 to the partnership, including a clipped six off Darren Gough that sailed into the temporary stand at deep mid-wicket.

The alliance ended when Gough’s pavilion end replacement, Graham Napier, skidded one through short of a length to find Fulton’s top edge and present James Foster with a simple catch.

Smith went to his 50 in 59 balls and scored 61 for his part in a second wicket stand of 57 in 12 overs with Alex Loudon that ended in a run out mix-up.

Smith’s late response to a single to Napier at backward point proved fatal as he lost the race to the non-striker’s end.

Going into the last 15 the Spitfires asking rate had shot up to eight an over, yet Loudon and Bevan both seemed strangely reticent to go aerial and play the big shots Kent required.

At one point the third-wicket pair mustered 10 in the space of four overs, including a single off one over from off-spinner Paul Grayson that left Kent needing 101 from the last 10 overs.

By the time veteran Gough returned to bowl at the death the asking rate had risen to 11 and his experience proved conclusive.

Loudon reached his half-century from 75 balls and with one four and a six, while Bevan reached the landmark from 58 balls, but by then the game was up for Kent.