Northeast eyes bowler-friendly pitch to get win
A FLAT pitch, gritty Sussex batting and baking-hot conditions combined to ensure that this derby ended in a draw.
For their part, Kent posted 575 – their highest total of the summer after winning the toss – with home captain Sam Northeast leading the way with his fourth century of the summer. Northeast’s 190, scored in a shade over six hours, also helped him to pip Somerset’s Marcus Trescothick and become the first batsman to reach 1,000 first-class runs for the season.
Thereafter, Kent’s bowling attack toiled throughout the last 218 overs of the match and in the hottest conditions of the year in a bid to dismiss Sussex twice to secure their third win of the Division Two campaign.
That Kent failed in their task was largely due to Ross Taylor, the Sussex No.4 batsman and former New Zealand Test captain, who followed his first-innings 142 with an equally crucial, counter-attacking 68 second time around that helped thwart the hosts on his farewell Championship game for the Martlets.
Kagiso Rabada, South Africa’s rookie strike bowler making his second and final four-day appearance for the county, claimed 3-81 to help dismiss the visitors for 333 as Mitch Claydon and James Tredwell slogged away on another Nevill Ground ‘shirtfront’ to earn two wickets apiece.
Northeast enforced the followon at the start of the final day, but half-centuries by Harry Finch and Taylor, allied with a couple of dropped catches and a missed stumping by deputy wicketkeeper Callum Jackson, ensured that Sussex survived the day and lost only five wickets in the process.
The inevitable handshakes came with six of the scheduled overs remaining with Kent banking 11 points to Sussex’s eight.
“I always enjoy skippering a last day like that,” said Northeast after the stalemate.
“We’d have liked more turn from the pitch and some variable bounce for the bowlers to keep us more interested, but once the ball went soft it was tough to get things going.
“We pushed seriously hard for the last 96 overs and just didn’t quite get over the line.
“This means that we need to start getting some positive results now, it’s as simple as that. The toss rule may go out of the window in the remaining matches and we may see some livelier pitches that help either seam or spin, because the reality is we need to start winning some games now.”
Having threatened on three occasions to post his maiden double hundred during the first half of the season – Northeast scored 189 (v Gloucestershire), 191 (v Derbyshire) and 166no (v Essex) – the Kent skipper was again disappointed to go so close to the milestone.
The 26-year-old showed his frustrations at missing out by flicking off the bails with the back of his bat when he was caught and bowled by Steve Magoffin, but later played a straighter bat to questions about his ambitions of playing for England.
“It’s normally the case that our batters queue up to bat here and this year was no exception. It’s a place to fill your boots for sure,” said Northeast modestly.
“It’s helped my form that it’s a totally different season in terms of the pitches we’re playing on. In my view, Division Two pitches in general last year were on the poor side. The new toss rule has really had an impact too and you can see by the scores all around the country that conditions have improved for the batsmen.
“Luckily I’m in a good place with my technique and in good enough form to capitalise on the changes. I’m not even thinking about the media talk of potential England honours, I’m just focusing on trying to win matches for Kent.”