County hit top form at right time
Kent cricket
Skipper Sam Northeast hopes Kent have timed their title run to perfection. Northeast’s side have hauled themselves into the Specsavers County Championship, Division 2 title race – and for that single promotion place – with thumping back-to-back wins in recent weeks. Victory at Gloucestershire by an innings and 69 runs last Friday followed a 10-wicket mauling of Worcestershire and represented their best red-ball run since July 2014 when they won three straight games. Kent began their game at Sussex on Wednesday while GH Roderick lbw b Stevens ...............23 CDJ Dent b Stevens ............................0 WA Tavare b Gidman ........................20 M Klinger lbw b Viljoen .....................10 HJH Marshall lbw b Viljoen................58 P Mustard c Billings b Viljoen ............38 JMR Taylor c Coles b Claydon ...........24 CN Miles c Stevens b Viljoen ...............9 DA Payne b Viljoen ..............................1 LC Norwell c Dickson b Coles..............8 MD Taylor not out ...............................4 Extras (b9, lb9, nb8)..........................26 Essex hosted Worcestershire seeking to maintain a 24-point advantage, with the intriguing prospect of the sides meeting at Canterbury on September 20 in the final game of the season. Northeast admitted: “We have won back-to-back games and want to keep that momentum going. “The last two games have been the blueprint. We’ve batted big and the bowlers have done well on pitches which have not offered them a lot. Fall: 1-6, 2-41, 3-59, 4-67, 5-149, 6-189, 7-200, 8-208, 9-217, 10-221. Bowling: MT Coles 18-2-45-1, DI Stevens 20-5-30-2, ME Claydon 195-36-1, GC Viljoen 22.2-5-55-5, WRS Gidman 7-2-19-1, JC Tredwell 7-4-180, JL Denly 1-1-0-0. DJ Bell-Drummond c Mustard b MD Taylor.65 SR Dickson lbw b Payne .....................0 JL Denly c Mustard b Norwell .............6 SA Northeast c Klinger b MD Taylor ..54 SW Billings c Miles b Norwell ..........171 DI Stevens c Klinger b Miles............140 WRS Gidman not out .........................58 JC Tredwell not out ...........................22 “There is a good vibe, confidence is high, everyone is in good shape. We have hit our straps at the right time. “Essex have the points on the board but we have three games to play and still have to play them. “There is a lot of cricket still to come this season. We genuinely feel like we can beat anyone. “After the quarter-final loss in the One-Day Cup too, the guys don’t want nothing to show for the season.” Kent have extended Will Gidman’s loan from Notts until the end of the season. Extras (b2, lb6, w3, nb6) ...................17 17
Total (for 6 wkts dec, 119.4 overs) 533 DNB: MT Coles, GC Viljoen, ME Claydon. Fall: 1-5, 2-28, 3-126, 4-141, 5-399, 6-490. Bowling: DA Payne 23-2-83-1, LC Norwell 27-7-88-2, MD Taylor 253-89-2, CN Miles 23-4-119-1, JMR Taylor 15-0-100-0, HJH Marshall 3-021-0, CDJ Dent 3.4-0-25-0. CDJ Dent c&b Stevens ........................1 GH Roderick c Tredwell b Viljoen.........8 WA Tavare b Stevens ..........................0 M Klinger c Coles b Stevens..............10 HJH Marshall lbw b Coles ...............118 P Mustard c Dickson b Claydon ...........9 JMR Taylor c Billings b Coles ............2222 CN Miles b Viljoen .............................15 DA Payne b Tredwell .........................14 LC Norwell c Billings b Viljoen ...........24 MD Taylor not out ...............................7 Extras (b10, lb3, w2) .........................15 Fall: 1-5, 2-13, 3-13, 4-34, 5-69, 6-115, 7-158, 8-191, 9-214, 10-243. Bowling: GC Viljoen 22.3-4-66-3, DI Stevens 19-6-47-3, WRS Gidman 4-1-12-0, ME Claydon 12-3-31-1, MT Coles 17-6-49-2, JC Tredwell 11-520-1, JL Denly 1-0-5-0. Kent won by an innings and 69 runs. Points: Kent 24, Gloucestershire 2. Umpires: PK Baldwin and AG Wharf.