A career-best knock from Ben Harmison couldn’t save Kent from falling to a big defeat away at Gloucestershire in their Championship match at Bristol.

28-year-old Harmison made a career best score of 125, reaching his third century for Kent in the process, but was unable to stop his side sliding to a 290-run loss – their second defeat of this year’s County Championship campaign.

The defeat also represents Kent’s heaviest First Class loss, in terms of the margin of runs, since 1921, although Harmison’s first century of the season is one positive they can take, as well as the performance of Sam Billings, who made runs in both innings.

With their top order once again having struggled yesterday afternoon, Kent began the final day on 165-5, still trailing by 417 runs and knowing that they would need something of a miracle to bat out the day for the draw.

Harmison and Billings’ partnership passed 100 early on the final morning, and the pair had added 139 together – a record sixth-wicket partnership for Kent against Gloucestershire – before Billings was dismissed.

The 22-year old wicket-keeper was the only man to offer any real resistance alongside Harmison in the second innings, making 67 – his highest County Championship score – before being bowled by Matt Taylor.

Adam Ball, who had impressed with a useful 37 in the first innings, would last just one ball this time, edging his first delivery behind to substitute keeper Cameron Herring, leaving Taylor on a hat-trick.

Mitch Claydon was able to see out the hat-trick ball, but with Billings and Ball both dismissed, any faint hope Kent had of rescuing a miraculous draw had all-but vanished.

With his former Durham teammate at the crease, Harmison square cut to go to a well-deserved sixth first class century, having provided a gritty, gutsy but composed knock for his side, bringing up the milestone from 175 balls. It was his third century for the county since joining at the start of the 2012 season, and interestingly all three of his three-figure knocks for Kent have come against Gloucestershire.

A few overs later, he also passed his previous highest First Class score of 110, but not before Claydon (15) had become the eight Kent wicket to fall, as he holed out to Gloucestershire captain Michael Klinger at mid-on off the bowling of Tom Smith.

Requiring just two more wickets, the lunch break was pushed back as the home side closed in on victory, and Harmison would be the penultimate man to go.

His stay at the crease had lasted just over five hours in total when he was finally removed by James Fuller; his 125 having featured 22 fours, and having probably saved Kent from an embarrassing loss by an even-greater margin.

Doug Bollinger was the last man in and swung hard, making 14 before he too holed out to a fielder in the deep, leaving Kent beaten before lunch on the final day, and Gloucestershire celebrating their first win of the season.

Kent will need to lick their wounds and move on quickly, as they travel to Somerset for their first NatWest T20 Blast game of the season on Friday night, before welcoming Worcestershire to Tunbridge Wells on Sunday for their next LV= County Championship game.

 

 

Close of play, day four:

Gloucestershire vs. Kent, LV= County Championship Division Two, The Bristol County Ground, Bristol, 18-21 May 2014:

Gloucestershire 252 (Roderick 59) and 443-6d (Marshall 118, Roderick 85, A Gidman 85, Stevens 5-87) beat Kent 114 (Billings 42, W Gidman 4-14, Fuller 4-32) and 291 (Harmison 125, Billings 67) by 290 runs

 

Gloucestershire: Klinger*, Dent, Tavaré, Gidman, Marshall, Roderick†, Gidman, Howell, Smith, Fuller, Taylor

Kent: Northeast, Key*, Bell-Drummond, Nash, Harmison, Stevens, Billings†, Ball, Claydon, Riley, Bollinger

Gloucestershire won the toss and elected to bat

Points: Gloucestershire 21, Kent 3

 

Full scorecard available here

 

Pictures supplied by www.sarahansellphotography.com