Kent were dismissed for 258 on an even first day of their County Championship game against Worcestershire at Tunbridge Wells.
Though it may seem an average score, batting conditions were far from ideal, with some balls keeping low, and the Worcestershire attack possessing one of the world’s most feared spin bowlers in Saeed Ajmal.
Having won the toss and chosen to bat in bright sunshine at the 102nd Tunbridge Wells Cricket Festival, 258 could still turn out to be a decent score for Kent, particularly considering the opposition, who have impressed in Division Two this season, and “mystery spinner” Ajmal in particular.
The visitors were consistent and disciplined with the ball, and tigerish in the field, although Sam Northeast, Ben Harmison and Brendan Nash all made reasonable contributions for Kent; Northeast posing his second fifty of the Championship season.
All-rounder Joe Leach took career-best figures of 5-36 for Worcestershire
Daniel Bell-Drummond was promoted to open with skipper Rob Key, perhaps after the pair saw Kent off to such an explosive start at Somerset in the NatWest T20 Blast on Friday night. It was a move that saw Northeast move down to number three, while the new opening pair made a slow and steady start before Bell-Drummond, on nine, poked outside off-stump and edged Leach behind in the tenth over.
The same bowler would also dismiss Key for nine, bowled by a delivery which appeared to keep a little low, leaving Kent 24-2.
Northeast, coming in at three, then put on the day’s most successful partnership alongside Brendan Nash, as they added 93 together either side of the lunch break.
After lunch, Northeast, who played particularly well through the cover region, brought up his second half-century of the 2014 campaign, from 126 balls.
The 24-year-old batsman seems to like playing at The Nevill Ground, where he averaged 63.00 from four innings there before today.
Having seen out 35 overs together to take the score to 117-2, both batsmen would be back in the pavilion in consecutive ones. First Nash (41) was caught by Moeen Ali at slip, attempting to cut Jack Shantry outside off stump, before Ajmal picked up his first wicket in the next over, trapping Northeast lbw on the back foot for a well-constructed 53.
A third Kent wicket would fall during the afternoon session, when Darren Stevens, who had looked good for his 25, steered Ajmal to visiting captain Daryl Mitchell at slip, before Ben Harmison and Sam Billings were able to take Kent to tea at 163-5.
The pair brought up the 50 partnership together post-tea, before Ali trapped Billings lbw in the penultimate over with the old ball. The 22-year-old wicket-keeper had made 24 by that stage, and was clearly frustrated with himself to get out when he did, appearing to lose balance as he was hit on the pads.
Harmison (47) was denied a half-century to follow up his career-best 125 in the second innings at Gloucestershire last week when he was bowled by another delivery that kept low; Charlie Morris the bowler in the first over with the new cherry.
Mitch Claydon made 16 before pulling Morris to Tom Fell on the boundary, and Robbie Joseph made two before driving Leach straight to Shantry at mid-off.
Adam Riley was the last man out, shortly before 6pm, when he gave Leach his five-for by edging behind to wicket-keeper Ben Cox without scoring, leaving the home side all out for 258.
Time will tell how good a first-innings score 258 is, with Worcestershire’s first innings to come tomorrow, however a strong performance with the ball from Kent could look to put them in a promising position for the rest of the game.
Stumps, day one: Kent vs. Worcestershire, LV= County Championship Division Two, The Nevill Ground, Tunbridge Wells, 25-28 May 2014:
Kent 258 all out (Northeast 53, Harmison 47, Nash 41, Leach 5-36) in 96.4 overs against Worcestershire
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
Pictures supplied by www.sarahansellphotography.com