Kent kept the pressure on Essex at the top of the Specsavers County Championship Division Two table with victory over Gloucestershire in Bristol.
An excellent all-round team performance saw Kent pick up a well-deserved fourth Specsavers County Championship win of the season. On a flat pitch at Bristol, the innings and 69-run win was eventually secured early in the evening session on the final day.
The hosts began the final day on 34/4, in deep trouble requiring 278 runs just to make Kent bat again. A first innings five-wicket haul for debutant Hardus Viljoen alongside centuries from Sam Billings and Darren Stevens had left the visitors comfortably ahead in the game, before three wickets from Stevens on the third evening sent Kent well on the road to victory.
Wickets were not as easy to come by on the final day however, with the pitch noticeably having flattened out from the earlier stages of the game. Phil Mustard had dug in alongside experienced New Zealander Hamish Marshall, reaching 9 from 49 deliveries before he cut Mitch Claydon straight to Sean Dickson at point. That would be Kent’s only breakthrough in the first session, as Marshall continued to frustrate the Kent attack, before reaching 50 early in the afternoon.
Kent made better progress later in the middle session, however. Jack Taylor hung around for a while, making a 69-ball 22 before attempting to hook a shorter delivery from Matt Coles, and succeeding only in gloving a catch behind to keeper Billings. Craig Miles made 15 before he was bowled to become Viljoen’s seventh debut victim.
Marshall went through to a hard-fought and obdurate century – his third of the season – midway through the afternoon, though Kent would have further joy before the tea break. David Payne made 14 before trying to come down the pitch to attack the off-spin of James Tredwell, only to find himself bowled.
Liam Norwell battled gamely to see his side through to tea alongside Marshall, but shortly after the break, the 37-year-old former international’s 213-ball stay at the crease was ended. Coles was the man to do the trick for his side, trapping the Kiwi lbw for 118 in the second over with the new ball.
Norwell had reached 24 from 62 balls when he was eventually the last man out; Viljoen ending the match with an eighth wicket on his debut when he induced an edge through to Billings. Gloucestershire were all out for 243, leaving the margin of victory a comfortable innings and 69 runs.
Essex remain firm favourites to claim the sole promotion spot from Division Two, having completed a win over Leicestershire inside three days earlier this week. Kent’s maximum, 24-point victory here leaves them still in with a more-than-decent shout, however, with the two sides scheduled to meet at Canterbury in the final game of the season in what could be a barnstorming September promotion showdown.
Specsavers County Championship Division Two, Gloucestershire v Kent at Bristol, Aug 23-26 2016:
Result: Kent 533/6 declared (Billings 171, Stevens 140, Bell-Drummond 65, Gidman 58 not out, Northeast 54) beat Gloucestershire 221 (Marshall 58; Viljoen 5-55) and 243 (Marshall 118; Stevens 3-47, Viljoen 3-66) by an innings and 69 runs.
Points: Gloucestershire 2, Kent 24
Gloucestershire: Roderick*, Dent, Tavaré, Klinger, Marshall, Mustard†, J Taylor, Miles, Payne, Norwell, M Taylor
Kent: Bell-Drummond, Dickson, Denly, Northeast*, Stevens, Billings†, Gidman, Tredwell, Coles, Claydon, Viljoen
Toss uncontested, Kent elected to field
Full scorecard available here.