Kent story

[djmaddison8]

Kent Crumble as Northants Win



Kent's batting collapsed to 213 all out to gift Northants victory by an innings and 69 runs.

Mike Powell was the first to fall for his overnight 68, caught and bowled by Jack Brooks. James Tredwell and Alex Blake stayed in for a while but scored few runs before both falling to David Willey. The same bowler removed Mike Hills before Peter Trego and James Middlebrook took the last two wickets to ensure a clinical team performance by the home side. Kent had lost their last 6 wickets for 50 runs.

[djmaddison8]

Worcestershire vs Kent



Worcestershire and Kent face off in the County Championship with both teams coming off a heavy loss.

Kent are already nearly 20 points clear at the bottom of the table and drop the horribly out of form James Tredwell in favour of Adam Riley.

Worcestershire give first starts of the season to James Cameron and John Glover. Vikram Solanki won the toss and will bat first.

[djmaddison8]

Andrew, Lucas Rescue Worcestershire



Gareth Andrew and David Lucas put on 148 for the 8th wicket after their side had lost 7 wickets for 69 runs.

Worcestershire got off to a good start with Phillip Hughes and Moeen Ali putting on 89 for the first wicket. Hughes hit 9 boundaries in his 49, 4 of them coming from one Mike Hills over, but Hills had his revenge when he trapped him LBW looking for his half century. Dutchman Alex Kervezee followed in the same way for a duck but Ali reached 50 before lunch.

Ali departed straight after the break however, caught behind off Mark Davies, and that triggered a collapse. Hills removed Jackson Thompson and Ben Cox whilst Davies got Vikram Solanki and James Cameron to leave the hosts in trouble at 158-7. Gareth Andrew and David Lucas both know how to bat however, and they frustrated Kent by putting on an unbeaten 74 by tea.

The pair continued to cause problems for Kent after the interval, especially Lucas who hit 2 sixes off Hills and one off Adam Riley as he reached his highest First Class score. Andrew eventually fell to Davies with the second new ball but John Glover also got in on the action, hitting 32 off 41 balls before holing out off Charlie Shreck. Worcestershire have 360 runs however, when they looked like being bowled out for less than 200, and one wicket still remaining.

[djmaddison8]

Worcestershire Seamers put them On Top



Worcestershire's bowlers got Kent out for 250, a deficit of 114, on day 2.

David Lucas managed just another 4 runs before becoming Mike Hills' 5th wicket in the morning session but Kent lost both openers early. First Michael Carberry and then Rob Key were struck in front by Richard Jones and when Alex Blake followed, LBW to John Glover, Kent were in trouble at 36-3. Mike Powell and Jamie Dalrymple put on an unbeaten 65 before lunch to settle a few nerves.

The partnership was extended to 99 as Powell brought up a second consecutive half century but then both batsmen fell in quick succession. Dalrymple was bowled by Gareth Andrew before Powell edged behind off Glover. Darren Stevens and Paul Cockburn put on an attacking 42 but again they fell in quick succession to Lucas and Andrew respectively. Kent were 211-7 at tea still needing 4 runs to avoid the follow-on.

Kent had hopes of a big 8th wicket partnership of their own but when Hills and Adam Riley had put on 34 the former hit one straight back to Andrew. Riley made 22 and Charlie Shreck helped Kent to a second batting point but Glover came back to remove them both. Hills removed Phillip Hughes with the 4th ball of the innings but Moeen Ali and Alex Kervezee saw Worcestershire safely to the close after that.

[djmaddison8]

Thompson Helps Worcestershire Declaration



Jackson Thompson hit an unbeaten hundred as Worcestershire declared on day 3.

Moeen Ali brought up his second fifty of the match in the morning session and he combined well with Alex Kervezee as the pair put on and unbeaten 112 before lunch. Kent suddenly looked bereft of ideas as the pitch flattened out and the sun shone.

Kervezee was bowled straight after lunch, missing a straight one from Mark Davies, and Vikram Solanki followed, edging to slip off Adam Riley. Ali put on a further 46 with Jackson Thompson but eventually fell to Mike Hills, as did Ben Cox. The lead was already over 350 by tea however and Kent were waiting for a declaration.

There was a further breakthrough when James Cameron was run out by a direct hit from the boundary by Micahel Carberry, but Thompson enjoyed the new ball coming onto the bat and hit his 2nd First Class hundred, finishing not out as Worcestershire declared, setting Kent an unlikely 437 to win.

[djmaddison8]

Key, Powell Heroics Ensure Kent Draw



Rob Key hit a century and Mike Powell guided the tail as Kent secured a draw against Worcestershire.

Key and Michael Carberry looked determined in the morning session and put on 149 together to put Kent on the right track. Key was first to reach 50 and was unbeaten on 81 at lunch, but Carberry fell soon after his own half century came up, misjudging the part-time spin of Phillip Hughes and trapping himself LBW.

Key reached a fantastic first hundred of the season after the break, but barely celebrated as he concentrated hard on the job in hand. He put on a further 88 runs with Alex Blake for the second wicket before edging behind off John Glover. Blake became another victim of mediocre spin when he fell in an experimental Jackson Thompson over. All three results were still possible at tea however, Kent needing 166 runs and Worcestershire needing 7 wickets.

Jamie Dalrymple and Darren Stevens both fell to Richard Jones but Powell continued to look for runs with Paul Cockburn. When he went however, Kent resigned themselves to a draw and Powell batted securely with Mike Hills until the final over of the day to secure their first unbeaten match of the Championship season.

[djmaddison8]

Tredwell Out for Sussex Game

Kent have been hit by the news that James Tredwell is ruled out of their Championship tie with Sussex with a bad cold.

Tredwell had not played in the recent match against Worcestershire after poor form, but with Sussex expected to prepare a spinning pitch to aid Monty Panesar, he was back in contention.

In Tredwell's 3 matches so far this season he has taken 6 wickets at 61.33 compared to a career average of 35.12. He lost his place to Adam Riley at the end of last season and will be disappointed that he won't be able to win it back this week.

[djmaddison8]

Sussex vs Kent



Kent travel across the border to Sussex for both teams' 4th Championship match of the season. The hosts sit 3rd, hoping to promote straight back up to Division 1, whilst Kent still have yet to win a Championship match under djmaddison8.

The visitors make one change from the side that drew with Worcestershire, Ben Harmison coming in for Jamie Dalrymple, who hasn't hit a half century yet this season.

Sussex won the toss and elected to bat first on a sunny day.

[djmaddison8]

Hills Five Destroys Sussex



15 wickets fell on the first day of Sussex's match against Kent, with young prodigy Mike Hills taking 5-49.

Sussex suffered a disastrous start after choosing to bat, losing their top 3 for 10 runs in the first 9 overs. First Ed Joyce leg-glanced a Hills delivery to Rob Key, then Chris Nash and Matt Prior both went in the same way in the same over, edging to Darren Stevens off Hills to give the young bowler figures of 7-4-10-3 in his first spell. Joe Gatting and Michael Yardy were left to rebuild before lunch.

The two put on 89 together but no sooner had Gatting reached his first Championship half century of the season than the collapse started. Mark Davies picked up two quick wickets as Yardy edged behind and Ben Brown was bowled. Gatting then became Hills' 4th victim and he had his 5th when Steve Magoffin played on for 1. Adam Riley and Charlie Shreck were left to clean up the tail as Sussex were all out for 176.

Kent didn't find batting easy either however and after an opening partnership of 46 their batting rather fell away, with Alex Blake, Mike Powell and nightwatchman Davies as well as both openers all falling. Naved Arif did the majority of the damage, picking up 3-36, but with Darren Stevens not out and Ben Harmison and Paul Cockburn still to come, Kent will still be hopeful of building a lead.

[djmaddison8]

Stevens, Harmison Put Kent in Charge



Darren Stevens and Ben Harmison put on 111 for the 7th wicket as Kent built a lead of exactly that amount before taking 2 wickets in Sussex's 2nd innings.

After Adam Riley was out early, LBW to Monty Panesar, the rest of the day belonged to Stevens and Harmison. It took them 45 overs, at a run rate of less then 2.5 an over, but on a tricky pitch it was exactly what was needed for Kent's innings.

After batting through the majority of the first session, they set out to do the same in the second, Stevens bringing up his 56th career half century soon after the break. It wasn't to be for Harmison though as he fell 3 short of his first 50 for 3 years, LBW to Naved Arif. Paul Cockburn and Mike Hills hit some quick runs, but Arif cleaned them up fairly soon to finish with 6-80, his best figures since the 2010 season.

Sussex needed to bat sensibly in the final session, but Chris Nash and Matt Prior both fell early again, both going for ducks in one Mike Hills over. The former was caught at slip by Riley whilst the latter missed a straight one to add to his shocking early season form.

[djmaddison8]

Gatting Battles But Kent Still on Top



Joe Gatting hit a fighting century on day 3, but Mike Hills took another 5-wicket haul to make it 10 wickets for the match and Sussex are effectively 121-7.

Ed Joyce fell early, LBW to Hills so that Sussex's top 3 have each fallen twice to Hills without passing 20. Gatting again combined well with Michael Yardy for the 4th wicket, this time adding 86 before lunch interrupted.

Adam Riley had the breakthrough after lunch, getting Yardy to edge behind, before Hills got his 4th, trapping Ben Brown LBW. Gatting began to get more aggressive as he looked to hit Hills out of the attack, but Rob Key brought Ben Harmison on, who is quicker than he seems, and Andy Hodd was too early on a drive, hitting it straight to Darren Stevens at mid-on.

The final session was about Gatting as he brought up his first century of the season with a sublime cover drive off Mark Davies. Hills finally got him with the new ball however, completing his 9th 5-wicket haul and 2nd 10-wicket match in just his 13th First Class game.

[djmaddison8]

Skipper Guides Kent to Long Awaited Victory



Rob Key hit 77 as his side achieved their first Championship victory since the 2011 season.

The day had started frustratingly for the visitors as Steve Magoffin and Naved Arif put on 59 for Sussex's 8th wicket, but Kent were persistent and it was fittingly the man who seems to have changed Kent's fortunes who got the breakthrough. Mike Hills it was who got Arif to sky one to Key. Adam Riley cleaned up the tail again and Kent were chasing 167 to win.

There's nothing more demoralising in cricket for the fielding side than a big opening stand and that's exactly what Kent achieved as Key put on 114 with partner Michael Carberry. The game was effectively won but Carberry fell to Arif on 47 and Alex Blake looked nervous early on.

Key played sublimely after lunch though and even after he was trapped LBW by Monty Panesar even Kent couldn't find a way to collapse. Mike Powell hit the winning run and immediately ran to the dressing room to celebrate.

[djmaddison8]

Northeast Succumbs to Illness

Kent opener Sam Northeast has not been training recently as he has caught the same illness that kept James Tredwell out of the recent win against Sussex.

Northeast will be unavailable for selection in the Challenge Trophy match against Worcestershire, although whether he would have been in the selectors plans anyway is a subject for debate.

He has not featured in the first team yet this season and is in poor form for the seconds, scoring 169 runs at just 21.12 in his 4 matches so far.

Northeast has an overall First Class record of 2496 runs at an average of 26 but had a poor 2012 season and has since been replaced at the top of the order by Michael Carberry.

[djmaddison8]

Worcestershire vs Kent



Kent travel to Worcestershire as both sides get their Challenge Trophy campaigns under way. The sides had contrasting fortunes last time out as the hosts lost in the semi final but Kent finished only above the Unicorns in their group.

Kent make one change to the side that beat Sussex in the Championship, Jamie Dalrymple coming back in for Mike Powell. Worcestershire are forced to bring in the inexperienced Carl Hyde for the injured John Glover.

Rob Key won the toss and Kent will bat first.

[djmaddison8]

Kent Defend 144 on Minefield Pitch



Kent's bowlers somehow managed to defend 144 and secure a 5 run win on a very uneven pitch.

The visitors got off to a solid start as Rob Key and Michael Carberry scored 34 from the opening powerplay but Carl Hyde removed the latter with his first ball as he edged behind to Ben Scott. Key followed just 6 runs later, caught by Vikram Solanki off the bowling of David Lucas. Alex Blake and Jamie Dalrymple were their usual aggressive selves but Blake was found short of his ground when running for a quick single before Dalrymple was bowled by an impressive Jack Shantry and Ben Harmison soon followed for just 1, LBW to Lucas. Kent were 74-5 in the 24th over but Darren Stevens and Paul Cockburn rebuilt effectively, Stevens for once playing second fiddle, taking the singles to put Cockburn on strike. The debutant wicket-keeper hit 5 fours in his 36 and continued after Stevens was LBW to Hyde, eventually becoming the last wicket to fall at 144.

Worcestershire needed just 3.5 runs an over for victory but managed just 1 off the first 2 overs from Mike Hills and Mark Davies. Hills has been one of the most potent new ball bowlers in the English game this season and in his 3rd over he enticed both Moeen Ali and Alex Kervezee to edge to slip in a double wicket maiden. Phillip Hughes hurried up after that, hitting 3 sublime boundaries but two overs later he hit one straight back to Hills. That brought in Jackson Thompson, centurion from the Championship game between these two, but Harmison saw him off in his first over, trapping him LBW for 3 off 19 balls. The hosts were 34-4 at that stage but Scott announced his arrival with a four and a six and started making things look easy with Solanki, especially against the spinners, as they put on 75 together. It was Dalrymple who got the breakthrough though, as he so often does, bowling Scott for 38. Solanki brought up 50 but he soon fell to Adam Riley and having scored at a strike rate of less than 60, left his team in trouble. When Shantry fell to Charlie Shreck in the next over, Worcestershire needed 25 off 27 balls with just 3 wickets remaining. Gareth Andrew and Lucas managed 16 off the next two from Davies and Shreck, meaning just 9 were required from the last 2. Davies removed Lucas and Hyde in the penultimate over, going for just 3 runs and Hills returned to bowl Richard Jones off the first ball of the final over to give Kent victory.