Kent settle for a draw
FINAL SESSION VICTORY TASK TOO TOUGH AS VISITORS UNABLE TO FORCE AN UNLIKELY WIN Kent Cricket
Kent settled for a draw in their Specsavers County Championship match with Hampshire at The Ageas Bowl. Hampshire, all out for 298 in their second innings, lost their last four wickets for 28 runs in the final session on Tuesday, leaving Kent a unlikely target of 153 to chase from 17 overs. Kent shook hands on a draw after reaching 57-3 from 8.2 overs, picking up a valuable 12 points. They lost Sean Dickson for four followed by Alex Blake, filling in as a concussion replacement for Heino Kuhn, for 15. When Daniel Bell-Drummond was dismissed for two, both sides agreed to call it a day
Joe Denly, who scored 154 in Kent’s first innings, was left unbeaten on 29 from 22 balls. Hampshire had ended day one on 340-6 after Kent picked up key wickets in the evening with the second new ball. Felix Organ made a 100 from 234 balls and Rilee Rossouw contributed 92. Resuming on day two, Hampshire managed 69 runs in 19 overs before they declared on 409-9, with Darren Stevens boasting figures of 5-68.
Kent’s reply of 555 was dominated by Denly’s ton and 90s from both Bell Drummond and Kuhn.
Deny enjoyed a 206-run partnership with BellDrummond, who produced 94 of his own to continue his good form.
Kent closed day two on 3193, which had included 27 from 18-year-old Jordan Cox on his debut.
Day three saw Denly reach pass 150 before he fell leg before to Keith Barker.
Fidel Edwards (5-118) then dismissed Ollie Robinson (29) and Grant Stewart for a duck, but Kent recovered through Kuhn (95) and Stevens (60) to gain a lead of 146.
Interim captain Kuhn had been denied his first championship century of the season when he was bowled by Edwards. Hampshire reached 119-2 to trail by 27 runs heading into the final day.
Opener Ian Holland and Rossouw picked up where they left off the evening before as they added 65 to their team’s overnight score.
The decision to bring Denly into the attack then proved an inspired one, with Rossouw pulling his shot into the hands of Bell-Drummond to depart on 66. Spin became key heading into lunch as Ollie Rayner forced a touch from Holland (69) to Robinson behind the stumps, before Denly struck again to trap Gareth Berg leg before and leave Hampshire on 196-5 at the interval.
Stevens produced with the ball again after the restart to dismiss Lewis McManus for 10 thanks to a catch from Dickson at slip. Kent then lost Kuhn as the South African left the field to be replaced by Blake due to concussion.
Hampshire clawed their way towards a draw courtesy of a patient 63-run partnership from Aneurin Donald (43) and Barker (37 not out).
After the former was caught by Bell-Drummond off Matt Milnes, Hampshire made it to 298 all out with a lead of 152 after Denly had taken 3-48.