Lower order runs put Leicestershire into a strong position in Kent’s opening home Championship game of the season at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence.

Kent knew that they would have to dismiss the visitors cheaply to give themselves a chance of taking a victory from their first home Championship fixture after no play was possible due to rain on the first day. And, having had Leicestershire 224-8, particularly considering they had been 131-1 at one stage during the afternoon, they would have been happy with their work, before an 85-run partnership for the ninth wicket put the visitors in charge.

Having won the toss yesterday and elected to field under cloudy skies, Kent skipper Rob Key could have been forgiven for being slightly frustrated when play began today in near perfect batting conditions.

The pitch played true, whilst still offering very good bounce to the bowlers – something the Kent attack, and Doug Bollinger in particular, looked to make the most of all day.

With the first day having been completely washed out, Kent knew that early and quick wickets would give them their best opportunity of forcing a positive result in the remaining three days. Visiting openers Greg Smith and Matthew Boyce were able to see off the first hour or so without too many major concerns, however, scoring slowly but not looking overly threatened.

Darren Stevens was once again the man that Kent turned to for some inspiration, and he provided the breakthrough they were looking for when he trapped Smith lbw for 24, shortly after the opening pair had put of 50 together.

Ned Eckersley joined Boyce at the crease, and the pair saw Leicestershire through to lunch on 86-1, the visitors having had the best of the opening session.

The batsmen continued to make hay after the break, and had put on 81 for the second wicket when Mitch Claydon started a slide that would see them lose six wickets in the remainder of the afternoon session, as Eckersley, on 32, chased a slightly wider delivery and edged to wicket-keeper Sam Billings.

Stevens then picked up his second and third wickets of the day in consecutive overs, first bowling Boyce (68) with a delivery that swung back, and then removing Leicestershire captain Josh Cobb (1), who feathered a catch through to Billings having looked uncomfortable against Stevens during his 12-ball stay at the crease, the score having gone from 131-1 to 145-4.

Spinner Adam Riley, selected ahead of James Tredwell for the game, then trapped Angus Robson (15) lbw, before the visitors lost two more wickets shortly before tea.

First Bollinger picked up his first of the day, trapping former Kent wicket-keeper Niall O’Brien (32) lbw with a straight, quick delivery, before Riley took his second, Ben Raine lbw this time for 6.

Jigar Naik and Rob Taylor steered their side through to the tea interval with the score at 208-7, before Bollinger caught Taylor (20) off his own bowling shortly afterwards, having come round the wicket and dug in a shorter delivery that reared up towards the batsman’s ribs.

Kent would have had high hopes of picking up the final couple of wickets easily enough but Jigar Naik and, more prominently, Anthony Ireland, came together to put the visitors back in control.

Ireland came into the match with a First Class average of 6.19, and a high score of 29 in 43 appearances, but the Zimbabwe-born right-hander made an excellent 52 from 79 balls, featuring two fours and four sixes. His partnership with Naik had reached 85, and the score 309-9, before Riley had him caught by Ben Harmison on the long on boundary.

Charlie Shreck, making his Leicestershire debut against his former club, was the last man to the middle, and even he managed to improve his average, ending the day unbeaten on 18, with Naik still there on 41, and the score 333-9.

A worrying sight for Kent fans also saw Darren Stevens leaving the pitch with the physio shortly before the end of play, having been hit on the knee by a ball thrown in by captain Rob Key whilst fielding.

 

 

Stumps, day two: Kent vs. Leicestershire, LV= County Championship Division Two, The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, Canterbury, 20-23 April 2014:

Leicestershire 333-9 (Boyce 68, Ireland 52, Stevens 3-46, Riley 3-52) after 96 overs against Kent

 

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

Leicestershire: Smith, Boyce, Eckersley, Robson, Cobb*, O’Brien†, Raine, Taylor, Naik, Ireland, Shreck

 

Kent won the toss and elected to bowl.

Bonus points: Kent 3, Leicestershire 3

 

Full scorecard available here

 

Top picture supplied by www.sarahansellphotography.com.