Warwickshire are scenting LV=Insurance County Championship victory over Kent at Edgbaston despite the loss of four sessions to the weather after excellent seam bowling forced the match forward on the third day. 

In reply to the home side’s 453 for four declared (Sam Hain 165 not out from 269 balls, Dan Mousley 94 from 93) Kent were skittled for 158 before closing the third day on 27 for one, following on. 

The visitors’ first innings was cut down by a superb collective effort by the Bears’ seam attack. All five seamers took wickets as Hassan Ali led the way with three for 36 and England’s Chris Woakes picked up two wickets in his first championship match for 19 months, 

It remains a good batting pitch but Kent have a lot of work to do on the final day to deny Warwickshire what would be a remarkable win after the weather took out sessions four to seven of the match. 

After Warwickshire resumed on the third morning on 367 for three, Hain and Mousley extended their partnership to 179 against ultra-defensive fields. With Kent a key bowler down, Matt Quinn off the field nursing the groin injury he collected on the first day, at times all nine outfielders were on the boundary.

Runs still came freely and Mousley collected his fourth six with a breathtaking ramp over the keeper’s head off Conor McKerr before falling six short of a maiden first class century when he hoisted spinner Jack Leaning to long on. 

Hain and Michael Burgess added a perky 39 from 31 balls to take Warwickshire to maximum bating points at which point they declared to make the earliest possible start on the pursuit of 20 Kent wickets. Chris Rushworth delivered the first two in a textbook new-ball spell as he trapped Zak Crawley lbw for a sixth-ball duck and then also pinned Ben Compton in front. When Joe Denly nicked an Ali outswinger to wicketkeeper Burgess, Kent were 63 for three and a good-sized Edgbaston crowd were getting some reward for their patience through hours waiting for the grass to dry. 

Daniel Bell-Drummond survived a nervous start to unfurl some attractive strokes on his way to 40 (65 balls) but perished just after tea when he sliced a steeply lifting Ali delivery to gully. Ed Barnard then ousted Jack Leaning, caught at point. 

At 86 for five, Kent needed serious shoring up and Jordan Cox and Sam Billing put down some roots in a stand of 24 but a lapse in judgment from Cox triggered another clatter. The 22-year-old left one from Olly Hannon-Dalby which hit off-stump to trigger the loss of the last five wickets for 48.

Kent’s implosion earned them the unwelcome prospect of an awkward 12 overs to bat second time round. Crawley’s unhappy day continued when he suffered an arguable lbw decision against Rushworth before, much to Kent’s relief, bad light lopped off the last four overs. 

Warwickshire batter Sam Hain said: 

“It was a tiring day but a good day. We have lost a day to rain but are still in a position to win a game of cricket. It’s a lovely position to be in going into day four needing nine wickets but we know Division One cricket is tough and finding nine wickets won’t be easy. 

“The messaging was to go out and bat positively and get to 450- as quickly as possible, It was a bit annoying not to get out there before lunch but Dan Mousley played beautifully from the get-go. He is still finding his way in red ball cricket but while I was sending the members to sleep with my batting he was waking them up. It was a fantastic knock and even on 94 he was going for a six which I think shows a lot about his character that he was putting the team first. 

“Then the seamers bowled beautifully. We have a lot of depth in bowling but we also know that it’s a long season, so that will be needed. But all five of the guys bowled really nicely and it is a lovely place to be, at second slip, watching these guys. Woakesy is such a high-class bowler and hasn’t played a lot recently in red ball and to come in first game back and bowl the way he is is certainly cool to watch.,” 

Kent coach Simon Cook said: 

“It was a tough day, there’s no doubt about that and we’ve got a little bit of work to do tomorrow. We have got to take a positive outlook in terms of building small partnerships and then those partnerships turn into big partnerships and then the day gets a bit easer as we go through.  

“If you look at the massive picture to start with, 300 runs behind, the task can seem a bit daunting but if we break it down into smaller chunks, and just keep wining small sessions and trying to put pressure back onto Warwickshire, we should be able to come out of this game with some points, dust ourselves down and head on to Essex.”