An opening partnership of 124 put Kent into a strong position on day one against Glamorgan at Canterbury, after dismissing the visitors for 260.

New opening pair Daniel Bell-Drummond and Tom Latham, on his Kent debut, put on an impressive unbroken opening partnership together in the evening session, reaching 124/0 before stumps were drawn. Bell-Drummond continued his fine early season form as he reached 62 not out at the close, while 24-year-old New Zealand international Latham had reached 48 on his maiden county cricket appearance.

As well as overseas signing Tom Latham making his first appearance for the club , having arrived at Canterbury earlier this week, 19-year-old seamer Hugh Bernard was given his First Class debut, coming in in place of Calum Haggett from the side that drew at Leicestershire.

After losing the toss and being put asked to bowl, Kent started strongly. Matt Coles made the breakthrough with just the fourth ball of the day, having James Kettleborough caught behind by Adam Rouse for a duck. Mitch Claydon picked up the wicket of Will Bragg, bowled off an inside edge for 14, and Glamorgan skipper Jacques Rudolph, who had made just 4 from 54 balls, when he was caught behind by Rouse.

Glamorgan were 44/3 at that stage, and would lose one more wicket before lunch. Chris Cooke made an attractive 45 from 40 balls before Coles dismissed him to pick up his second wicket, Rouse completing his third catch behind the stumps, as Glamorgan reached lunch on 102/4.

Coles picked up his third wicket of the day straight after lunch, trapping David Lloyd lbw for 4, though the bowler was forced from the field later in the over after sustaining a foot injury. Coles did return to the field later in the afternoon, though he did not bowl again.

Bernard picked up the first wicket of his First Class career as he had Aneurin Donald (37) caught on the midwicket boundary by Sean Dickson, by which point the visitors had fallen to 124/6.

Graham Wagg and Craig Meschede added 70 together, taking advantage of a number of chances being put down in the field, before Wagg (40) lofted Darren Stevens to deep extra cover where he was caught by Dickson.

Meschede then added a useful 48 with Andrew Salter before becoming the eighth wicket to fall, Bernard collecting his second wicket with Northeast taking the catch at mid-off. Meschede fell for a top-scoring 63; the only Glamorgan batsman to pass fifty.

Having reached tea at 260/8, Glamorgan would not add to their score. Bowling the first over after tea, Claydon had Salter (25) caught behind after gloving a shorter delivery, before trapping Harry Podmore lbw with a full delivery to finish with figures of 4-59 from 16 overs.

Glamorgan’s 260 was an under-par total, though had Kent caught all of the chances that came their way, they could perhaps have looked at dismissing their opponents even more cheaply.

Coming to the crease with almost a full session to see out, openers Bell-Drummond and Latham applied themselves excellently. They brought up their century stand within 20 overs, and had moved on to 124 by the close, Bell-Drummond reaching his half-century on the way to continue his impressive early season form.

Claydon, the pick of the Kent attack, was pleased with the position the side found themselves in at the close, when he spoke to Mark Pennell at the end of the day’s play.

“I think we could have bowled them out cheaper and that our catching let us down a little out there,” the Australian admitted.

“The difference between us bowling them out for 150 instead of 260 were the three catches that went down. That said, if you’d have said at the start of the day when we lost the toss, that we’d bowl them out for 260 and end the day on none for 124, then we’d have bitten your hand off.

“There’s a lot of talk about pitches around the country but credit Simon Williamson, our groundsman here, for preparing this pitch here. There’s pace and bounce and if it goes four days there will probably be a result. That’s proper cricket, the brand people want to see.

“Our two openers showed that if you get your nut down you can score runs and there was something in it for the bowlers. To lose Matt Coles in the afternoon with a foot injury was a blow, but he came back on and would have bowled had we let him. He was sore and shocked after it happened and feared something quite serious, but he’ll get it scanned and we’ll all know more by Tuesday. Hopefully it’s nothing serious because he’s a big part of the side”

 

Stumps, day one, Kent v Glamorgan at Canterbury, May 1-4 2016:

Kent 124/0 (Bell-Drummond 62*, Latham 48*) trail Glamorgan 260 (Meschede 63; Claydon 4-69) by 136 runs with 10 wickets remaining in the first innings.

Kent: Bell-Drummond, Latham, Denly, Northeast*, Dickson, Stevens, Rouse†, Coles, Claydon, Riley, Bernard

Glamorgan: Kettleborough, Rudolph*, Bragg, Cooke†, Donald, Lloyd, Wagg, Meschede, Salter, Podmore, Hogan

Points: Kent 3*, Glamorgan 2*

Full scorecard available here.

 

Photos via Sarah Ansell Photography