A final day showdown looms in the Rothesay County Championship at Canterbury, after Middlesex reduced Kent to 233 for seven at stumps, with Naavya Sharma taking three for 30 following some inspired captaincy by Leus du Plooy.

The hosts lead by 206 with three second innings wickets remaining: their top scorer was Daniel Bell-Drumond with 60.

Earlier Middlesex were all out for 443, a first-innings lead of 27. Max Holden made 182 and put on a stand of 238 with Zafar Gohar, who himself made 95. Keith Dudgeon took all four Middlesex wickets, finishing with four for 77.

Middlesex were 97 in arrears at the start of play, but they wiped that out during the morning session. and Holden quickly moved to his 150 with a single off Grant Stewart.

Dudgeon then put down a chance to get Holden when he edged Hasan Mahmud when he was on 162, but it was he who finally broke the partnership when he had Zafar caught hooking by Ben Compton.

Dugdeon then had Holden caught behind, but by then the deficit was only four and Tom Helm put the visitors in front when he punched Grant Stewart through the covers. Toby Roland-Jones pulled Dudgeon for six over fine leg and one over went for 19 before Tom Helm skied Dudgeon to Bell-Drummond for 11.

The South African would have had two in two balls, but Chris Benjamin then dropped Sharma down the leg side. He did, however wrap up the innings and the session when Roland-Jones was caught at fine leg by the sub, Harry Finch for 28.

Kent’s second innings started slowly and Helm fired Middlesex’s hopes with the early wicket of Compton, who was caught behind for four.

It took the hosts over an hour to reach parity and they were only 13 ahead when Sharma bowled Ben Dawkins, off stump for 11. Sam Northeast had ground his way to 46 when Seb Morgan had him lbw in the final over before tea, leaving Kent on 80 for three.

Bell-Drummond and Ekansh Singh injected some impetus with a stand of 82 in the evening session. The 44th over went for 20, with both batters hitting Zafar for six, but just as it looked as if Kent were getting on top, du Plooy replaced Zafar with Sharma, who bowled Bell-Drummond off stump.

Chris Benjamin was just getting going when Morgan strangled him for 16 and Sharma then cleaned up Grant Stewart for eight after du Plooy switched him to the Nackington Road End.

And there was a final flourish from the Middlesex skipper when he brought on Helm, who got the crucial wicket of Kent’s last recognised batter, Ekansh Singh for 46, with the first ball of his spell.

Middlesex’s Zafar Gohar said: “I feel like it’s pretty even to be fair. Hopefully we’ll come out tomorrow and then get some good wickets and hopefully we’ll look to chase whatever the target is.

“I felt like it’s gone a bit more slower from day one, but it’s a bit very good balance, but hopefully we’ll get it done tomorrow.

“(Max) is such a good player, but I knew that we had to work hard to come back in this game, so I’m glad we did.

(On his dismissal).“When you’re well in you can try and play some shots, but it didn’t really go my way.”

(On Leus du Plooy’s captaincy). “I feel like he’s a very smart guy. He knows his work and he knows all of us pretty well. He knows when to do what and I’m pretty pleased with his work as well.”

Kent’s Ekansh Singh said: “One hundred percent, the game is definitely in the balance. The wicket is quick and changing and, as today showed, the game is quick and changing. We felt that after the first innings we were in the driver’s seat and after getting them six down we we’re definitely on top.

“They had one really good partnership which put the game in the balance, and then the wicket is changing again with a bit more variable bounce, which gives us confidence that any more runs we can get over 200 will be a real challenge for them.

“I reckon Day One there was a bit of lateral movement in it, and we batted very well and Day Two it looked like under all the heat and the conditions, the wicket properly hardened up and got a bit flat even with the newer ball it wasn’t moving laterally as much especially when it was softer, it was really abrasive on the ball and didn’t feel like it was offering us much, but now the real threat is the bounce.”