Less than an hour’s play was possible on day two of the County Championship game between Kent and Worcestershire at Tunbridge Wells.
In recent years, the Tunbridge Wells Cricket Festival has often been blighted by the weather, and unfortunately, today saw 2014 follow the same pattern.
With rain falling at regular intervals throughout the day, play began 15 minutes behind schedule, at which point Daryl Mitchell and Matt Pardoe began the visitors’ first innings, replying to Kent’s total of 258 that they posted yesterday.
However, after just 14.1 overs, taking 53 minutes, the rain came again, by which stage Worcestershire had reached 48-0.
Kent had experimented with using Darren Stevens to open the bowling, with grey overhead conditions. However, with his first six balls costing 13 runs, it was an experiment that lasted just four overs.
Following that, Robbie Joseph came into the attack, and bowled well before the players left the field; including having Pardoe, on 20, dropped by wicket-keeper Sam Billings off a regulation edge.
After drizzle forced the players from the field shortly after midday, with an early lunch taken, it was hoped that play could restart shortly before 2pm, but the rain returned moments before the players were set to make their way to the middle, and set in pretty much consistently for the remainder of the day.
In the time that was available, Mitchell had reached 24 and Pardoe 20.
The umpires eventually brought an end to the day’s proceedings at around 4pm, leaving two days remaining for either side to attempt to force a result.
Stumps, day two: Kent vs. Worcestershire, LV=County Championship Division Two, The Nevill Ground, Tunbridge Wells, 25-28 May 2014:
Worcestershire 48-0 trail Kent 258 all out (Northeast 53, Harmison 47, Nash 41, Leach 5-36) by 210 runs with 10 first-innings wickets remaining
Kent: Bell-Drummond, Key*, Northeast, Nash, Harmison, Stevens, Billings†, Ball, Claydon, Joseph, Riley
Worcestershire: Mitchell*, Pardoe, Ali, Fell, Kervezee, Whiteley, Cox†, Leach, Shantry, Ajmal, Morris
Kent won the toss and elected to bat
Bonus points: Kent 2, Worcestershire 3
Full scorecard available here
Picture supplied by www.sarahansellphotography.com