Six second innings wickets and nine in the game from Darren Stevens helped Kent to a comfortable ten wicket win over Derbyshire at Canterbury.

Having been forced to follow on, the visitors were always struggling at the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence and the game was all wrapped up inside three sunny days with Kent dominant throughout.

Watched on by England selector Gus Fraser, spinner Adam Riley was in the spotlight on a day that suited the Kent man, whilst news filtered through before play that there would be a pitch panel convened at the end of the game.

Resuming on 32 for 3 with Wayne Madsen and Marcus North at the crease, the Derbyshire pair made a rapid start before returning to type and looking to block out the
Kent attack.

The reward for Adam Riley came half an hour into the day’s play as he got one to spit out of the rough and all Madsen could do was fend it to Adam Ball at slip for
17 leaving his side in trouble at 51 for 4.

North was to depart shortly after with Stevens steaming down the hill from the Nackington Road End and trapping him lbw for 16, leaving Derbyshire staring down the
barrel at 57 for 5.

Scott Elstone never looked comfortable at the crease and he was to depart on 13 as he nicked a mean ball from Stevens behind to the waiting gloves of Sam Billings
leaving the visitors on 70 for 6 shortly after midday.

Stevens was to bag his fifth wicket of the innings and his eighth of the game when he had Gareth Cross lbw for 21 in a bright and breezy innings that lasted just 16
balls.

At 102 for 7, the Derbyshire tail were to be exposed to some serious questions before the lunch interval, but added a further 16 runs before the break without
further alarm.

Around 1,500 kids from Kent schools poured onto the outfield at the break with Kent keen to see the next generation of fans given the opportunity to see their heroes.

Alex Hughes and David Wainwright were quite purposeful after lunch, taking on the Kent attack as Rob Key rang the changes giving Doug Bollinger, Brendan Nash and
Robbie Joseph a bowl.

The pair were to add 129 for the eighth wicket, seeing their side through to tea without further alarm as Hughes passed fifty and onto his highest County Championship score.

With the game seemingly set to go into a fourth day, Hughes was to fall lbw to Stevens for 82 shortly after the interval giving the Kent all-rounder his sixth victim of the innings.

When Tony Palldino was trapped lbw by Riley for just one in the next over the writing was on the wall and it took just a few more overs to wrap things up with Riley going on to take his third of the innings with Mark Footitt superbly stumped by Sam Billings for 10.

Closing their innings on 256, that set Kent the small task of scoring 39 to win and openers Rob Key and Daniel Bell-Drummond took little over ten overs to knock it off without alarm.

Kent will take 22 points from the game with Derbyshire getting just two for their efforts.

Meanwhile, Pitch Liaison Officer David Capel has called for a Pitch Panel to convene at the conclusion of the game.

The Pitch Panel will be chaired by Tony Pigott and they will interview the umpires, the captain and coach of both Derbyshire and Kent and the Kent Groundsman.

Result: Kent vs. Derbyshire, LV= County Championship Division Two, The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, Canterbury, 22-25 June 2014: 

Derbyshire 256 following on (Stevens 6-64, Riley 3-88) and 115 (Riley 4-30, Stevens 3-25) lost to Kent 333 (Bell-Drummond 101, Stevens 45; Palladino 5-54) and 41 for 0 by 10 wickets. 

 

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

Derbyshire: Moore, Borrington, Madsen*, North, Elstone, Hughes, Cross†, Wainwright, Palladino, Taylor, Footitt

Kent won the toss and elected to bat

Bonus points: Kent 22, Derbyshire 2

 

Pictures supplied by www.sarahansellphotography.com