Zak Crawley scored a vital unbeaten 82, his highest score of the season, to boost Kent’s promotion hopes on the opening day of this Rothesay County Championship against rivals Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.
Crawley continued the form he showed against Middlesex last week, smashing 12 fours and one six as he combined in an unbroken 154-run opening partnership with Ben Compton (51). After being put into bat, the pair made the most of a day limited to 36 overs after torrential morning rain to put the visitors firmly in the box seat.
In one of the closest-ever promotion run-ins to Division Two of the Championship, the game is something of a shoot-out between second-placed Kent and Northamptonshire who began the contest just four points behind in third.
When play finally got underway at 4.15pm, Ben Sanderson made the ball talk from the David Capel End, finding plenty of movement to narrowly beat Crawley’s bat.
The former England opener, though, stroked the day’s first boundaries in the fourth over off Liam Guthrie, a fluent cover drive to a wide full ball and a backfoot punch, while a genuine edge off Sanderson also flew to the ropes.
At the other end, Compton started steadily, but tucked into some width from Guthrie, punching square off the back foot. He pulled a rare short ball from Sanderson and drove an overpitched ball for four more but was given a life on 17 when Nathan McSweeney dropped a low chance at fourth slip off Sanderson.
Crawley, who survived a strong lbw shout from Sanderson on 16, drove Luke Procter handsomely through midwicket and clipped nicely off his toes to bring up Kent’s 50 in the 14th over. He continued to live dangerously though, missing an exaggerated swipe outside off stump to Sanderson and beaten repeatedly by Yuzi Chahal before using his feet to hit the leg-spinner over midwicket.
Amid some genuinely testing deliveries, Guthrie occasionally struggled with his line, Compton profiting as he helped two legside deliveries down to fine leg before crunching a full-and-straight one down the ground.
Crawley nudged Chahal into the offside to bring up his 50 off 74 deliveries and then, after surviving a lbw appeal, smashed Chahal for a huge six into upper tier of the Spencer Pavilion.
A watchful Compton, meanwhile, was content to accumulate off the bad balls, stroking a slightly wide delivery from James Sales through cover before a rare miscue fell just short of the off-side fielders.
After Northamptonshire unsuccessfully asked for a ball change, Crawley crunched Sanderson for three cover boundaries in his second spell.
When Northamptonshire turned to Calvin Harrison an enthusiastic lbw appeal was turned down against Compton on 44, replays suggesting the ball had struck him just outside the line. Compton went on to bring up his half-century off 108 deliveries in the day’s final over despite two strong lbw appeals from Harrison.
Northamptonshire batter Nathan McSweeney said: “It was a frustrating session. I think there were pretty good bowling conditions there for the first little bit, anyway. A couple of decisions probably didn’t go our way. We put down a chance, and then they played really well, and we probably didn’t quite nail our areas.
“I think we started decent, and then obviously once the partnership progressed, they found scoring quite easy there for a good part of it. So yeah, we need to learn from that tonight and come back tomorrow right on the money.[On playing so soon after the away win at Old Trafford]
“It was a bit of a slow morning with the rain. We didn’t quite know when we were getting on. I thought we started pretty well actually. It was just that middle period where the runs started to flow, we weren’t quite quick enough to adapt and change our plans. So that’s the county cricket grind, and these boys are all used to it, so there’s no excuse there really and I’m sure we’ll come back tomorrow and be right on the money.”
Kent opener Ben Compton said: “We’re pleased with where we are at stumps. These kinds of days can be tricky. It’s sometimes difficult to prepare yourself adequately if you’ve been sitting around all day. You try your best, but sometimes you’re just a bit behind the pace. And we’ve been quite cognizant of that and a few times it’s happened this year, and we’re getting better at it.
“So, we’re absolutely thrilled with that start. It was so nice to see Zak playing so fluently. He really does look back to his best, which we’re all so happy for him in that respect.
“And tomorrow I’m sure they’ll come hard in the morning, and our job is to keep going and that’s our aim.
“I think the wicket certainly was pretty lively for the first 10 or 12 overs today, under the lights, quite dark. There was a short day ahead, so the opposition can come steaming in and give it a full pelt. So, it did plenty in that first 45 minutes, so with a bit of luck, and I got dropped. Those things all level out in cricket, sometimes, so we’re very pleased that we could get through that spell.
“But I think it’s a good pitch. We saw a bit of spin there for the two (Northamptonshire) leg-spinners, so hopefully that will suit us later as the game goes on. But it’s a pretty decent wicket and we’re going to have to work hard in the morning and then go from there.”