When my father was alive, we used to attend a day of Canterbury Cricket week together every year.

Geraint Jones was busy digging Kent out of a hole with a thrilling century during the annual festival when I said what transpired to be my final farewell to him before he died that night. As a result I try to get to at least one day of the four day game during festival week every season.

Unfortunately, cricket has changed during the intervening period and the dates of the festival are no longer the same due to County Championship cricket being played only in certain ‘windows’ of the season, with August being reserved for a stain on the game known as the One Hundred. However, had my father still been alive, it is likely that we would have enjoyed our cricket together on Day two of Kent v Northamptonshire. 

Although South Eastern trains tried their best to get me to the ground after the start of day two with a late running train, they reckoned without my walking speed and I arrived just before the commencement. I took my place in the media suite and had time to organise myself while play was delayed due to the reflection of the sun off a car windscreen at the Nackington Road end.

Starting the day on 325 for 4 with Daniel Bell-Drummond on 66 not out, and Joey Evison 29, Kent were looking to set a big score and put pressure on their opponents. Sadly, after unleashing a sumptuous drive through extra cover, Evison attempted to repeat the trick and edged to Lewis McManus off Liam Guthrie and walked off without waiting for the umpire to raise his finger.

At the 110 over bonus points cut-off mark, Kent had progressed to 375 for 5 meaning that they picked up three batting points, and Northants one bowling point. Harry Finch continued to bat busily while Bell-Drummond batted on serenely until getting twitchy on 99.

He reached his magic century with a sharp single off the bowling of Calvin Harrison. Finch recorded his half century soon after, from just 66 deliveries. Their partnership reached 100, when Finch paddled a single into the leg side off one time Kent bowler, Yuzvendra Chalhal, moving him onto 61. 

Once lunchtime arrived, with Kent on 446 for 5, hordes of youngsters took to the outfield to show off their cricket skills. ‘Schools Day Out’ is a great initiative designed to get kids interested in the game. Other activities with a cricket theme are also arranged and it is wonderful to see them all so engaged in the sport.

First team coach, Adam Hollioake spent time posing for photos and signing autographs. For me, it was time to pack up my laptop and to go for a perambulation of the ground, and watch the afternoon’s play in the sunshine. 

Watching Bell-Drummond and Finch continue on their merry way was great and Finch got to three figures showing no nerves at all as he romped through the nineties and to his ton with three boundaries.

Eventually, Bell-Drummond fell when caught behind after not getting enough on a tired attempted dab to third for a brilliant 158.

Finch’s excellent innings of 118 ended bizarrely when he attempted a reverse sweep and was caught high over his head by Justin Broad at first slip off Harrison.

Matt Parkinson and Wes Agar then joined forces and spent half an hour doing little before the former was adjudged LBW to Harrison, having survived a loud appeal one ball earlier. Kent declared at that point on 566 for 8 and an early tea was taken.

In the days when I went with my father, he used to drive home to his home in Herne Bay at the tea interval while I stayed to sample an ale or two from Kent breweries in the CAMRA beer tent.

This was a tradition that I felt compelled to repeat. As some had been in there since the first over, it was quite noisy with experts discussing cricket, football, music and politics. Although I missed Angua Blonde from the Broken Drum in Blackfen, I did manage to enjoy a couple of tasty ales while Northants tucked into anything slightly loose. 

Captain Luke Procter didn’t last too long when he was strangled down the legside and caught behind by Finch off Matt Quinn for his first wicket after a very long spell out injured. Procter’s reaction was not a good example to the younger members in his team and in the crowd when he stood and glared at the umpire but it was to no avail and he had to trudge off. 

That proved to be Kent’s only success with the ball before the close with Northants on 140 for 1. Ricardo Vasconcelos ended the day on 87 not out, and Harrison on 41 not out.

Kent’s Harry Finch said: “It was just nice to spend some time in the middle, obviously today I was able to reap the benefits of the first day, I thought the lads batted beautifully on day one and made my job a lot easier today.

“I think I’m a better player when I put the bowlers under pressure and look to score. He’s class isn’t he (Bell-Drummond), I think he’s a brilliant player. He was in a really good space out there, he was nice and calm. Yesterday he had to work very hard for his runs, today he looked really fluent.

“It’s always nice (to take a catch) and it was great for Quinny. It’s not how he would have imagined it (getting a strangle) for his first one back in two years, but just to see him out playing, I don’t think he played at all last year and then he missed the whole of this season so far so it was great to see hm back out there. He’s been a massive miss for us.

(On making his third Kent century, four years after he made his first, also during Canterbury week against Sussex, his former club.)

“Obviously I quite enjoy playing in Canterbury week and ironically we’re playing Sussex here in the T2os on Friday so that’ll be nice. I still know quite a few of their guys and it’s nice playing against them. I think if you ask anyone who’s moved counties, it’s always nice to do well against your old county.”