Captain Rob Key hailed match-winner Martin van Jaarsveld after another stunning performance on Friday guided Kent into the Friends Provident Trophy final.

Van Jaarsveld, already the top run-scorer in the competition, hit his third superb unbeaten century of the week to help see off holders Durham by 83 runs at the Riverside.

The South African, fresh from twin tons and a five-wicket haul against Surrey in the County Championship, smashed a thrilling 122no from 93 balls with three sixes and nine fours.

It was his fourth century in the trophy this season and took his run tally from eight innings to 602, well clear of Essex's Ravi Bopara on 455.

Adding to opener Joe Denly's 102, it laid the platform for a convincing win as the Spitfires posted a formidable 301 for four.

Key said: "The week he has had 300 runs without being dismissed in three innings and a five-for thrown in, he is having pretty much a stormer. It doesn't get much better than that.

"And for Joe Denly, a young player coming in, to go out there like he did and get a hundred was brilliant.

"The senior guys are expected to turn it on but for him to do it against a proper attack - that was a serious attack - was great. He played without fear against people like Shaun Pollock.

"I think the reason we probably didn't get more was Steve Harmison, he was unbelievable."

England outcast Harmison took all Durham's wickets to finish with four for 47 from two hostile five-over spells, in which he regularly exceeded 90mph.

The semi-final experience was far more chastening for Albie Morkel, the South African all-rounder who, along with Pollock, has stayed on at the county due to their run to the Twenty20 Cup quarter-finals.

Morkel conceded 75 in seven wicketless overs, and was slog-swept for three sixes by Van Jaarsveld in a final flurry that saw 56 scored in the last five overs.

Durham's response began badly as Azhar Mahmood and Yasir Arafat reduced them to two for two but captain Dale Benkenstein offered hope in a stand of 108 for the fourth wicket with Will Smith.

Smith's dismissal for 56, however, proved the beginning of the end and the last five wickets fell for just 10 runs to leave Benkenstein unbeaten on 80.

Spinner James Tredwell finished with three for 37 from his 10 overs, including the wicket of Morkel, who later admitted the game had been his worst of his career, according to coach Geoff Cook.

Key added: "They were always up with the rate and it was tough to stop them from scoring. I had to take a punt and take the pace off the ball. We just built pressure."

There was one controversial moment in the game when Durham opener Michael di Venuto was given out lbw by umpire Neil Mallender despite inside-edging the ball.

It was a decision the crowd reacted negatively to after it was surprisingly shown on the big screen.

Key said: "I thought it was pretty ordinary to put that on the big screen from the umpires' point of view. These sorts of things happen all the time.

"In slow motion it was a poor one but in real time it didn't look that bad. It's pretty tough for umpires and I don't think things like that should be put on the big screen."

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