Kent seamer Mitch Claydon praised the team’s bowling efforts after they closed in on victory after the third day against Surrey.

The Kent attack reduced the visitors to 170-9 in their second innings, giving them a lead of just 20 runs with the single wicket in hand.

31-year-old Claydon has taken 3-42 in Surrey’s second innings so far, having bowled almost completely unchanged alongside Adam Riley, who has 4-65, in the evening. Claydon bowled 15.4 overs in the session, while Riley bowled a 22-over unchanged spell from the Pavilion End, starting before tea and going on until the close of play.

The Australian-born admitted that the fact they were closing in on the win meant his mammoth spell was far easier to deal with.

“It’s always easier bowling when there’s a win on the line”, he said.

“It’s easier just to keep going and going. We were picking up wickets every time I was going to come off, so I stayed on.”

“I think having that shorter run up has helped me – I definitely bowled a lot longer.”

“We’ve all bowled pretty well in this game”, he said. “There’s been a lot of balls go past the outside edge.

“We’ve learned a lot from the last game here when we played Leicestershire”, he said. “The eighth and ninth wickets put on a bit of a partnership and we got carried away trying to get them out.

“It works for getting the top order out of just sticking to line and length, and we just spoke about doing that when they get a partnership – whether it’s top order or bottom order – just stick to a length and hopefully the rewards will come.”

“To be in the position we’re in now is quite good and hopefully we can wrap it up in the morning.”

The right-arm seamer praised Surrey’s ninth wicket pair of Stuart Meaker and Matt Dunn, who added only 20 runs, but stayed at the crease for 15.3 overs, before Claydon dismissed Meaker in the final over of the day.

“It was gutsy”, Claydon admitted. “Doug [Bollinger] was out there bowling at the speed of light, and they hung in there.”

Claydon was now simply hopeful that the weather would be kind to Kent, giving them enough time to complete the victory on the final day.

“It’s England, so anything could happen!” he said. “The forecast is meant to be clear, but who knows – you could wake up and it could be pouring down, so we’ve just got to rock up in the morning, do a professional job, get the last wicket and knock the runs off.”

 

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