Class prevailed in the end

The last time Australia came to the St Lawrence Ground for a full tour fixture, New Labour had just come to power, Glenn Hoddle was England manager and Tiger Woods had just won his first Major at Augusta.

For three days in the middle of August 1997, the touring Australians led by Steve Waugh took on Steve Marsh’s Kent side, having already triumphed in the six-Test Ashes series 3-2.

Kent won the toss and batted first but it did not take long for Michael Kasprowicz to rip through the top order.

Trevor Ward, Ed Smith and Alan Wells all fell without scoring, leaving it to the middle order to try to post a respectable total.

With Kent on 107-6, Matthew Fleming and Marsh l ead a resurgence, scoring 67 and 35 not out respectively before Shane Lee skittled the tail to bowl out Kent for 201.

Alan Igglesden, playing in only his fourth First Class match in two years, got the Kent bowling attack off to a great start, leaving the tourists 40-4. However, a sixth- wicket partnership of 158 runs between future Kent overseas players Steve Waugh and Michael Bevan stabilised the Aussie innings. Waugh finished on 154 as the Australians took a 114-run lead heading into the second innings.

It’s easy to see why Waugh wanted to come here as an overseas player as he scored another big hundred in 1993 when they played at the St Lawrence Ground.

Igglesden finished with 3-56 and was the pick of the Kent bowlers.

Kent’s top order fared better the second time around and the opening pair of Ward and Smith put on 99 before the latter was dismissed for 46.

Lee took another four wickets to make his match figures an impressive 8-113.

Mark Ealham top scored for Kent with 85 as they set a target of 229 for the Australians.

There were also important contributions from Ward (68)and Wells (65).

Justin Langer and Michael Slater got the chase under way, putting on 67 before Langer was dismissed by Julian Thompson for 22.

Kent managed to get them 95- 3 and gave themselves a chance of bowling the Aussies out.

That was until Ricky Ponting (56 not out) and Bevan (47 not out) came to the crease and eased their side home to victory by six wickets.

It was a closer result than the Australians would have liked but perhaps it will be closer still this time around.

Kent’s Will House edges to Justin Langer at slip off the bowling of Michael Kasprowicz in the first inings. He made 16

Kent’s Ben Phillips was unsuccessful in this appeal against Australian opener Justin Langer. He did, however, finish with decent figures of 3-57 in the tourists’ first innings

Kent’s Matthew Fleming departs after top scoring with 67 in Kent’s first innings