Kent’s game with Essex inevitably ended in a draw at Chelmsford on Saturday afternoon with Rob Key’s side putting in a battling display.

Having been 9 for 5 on Wednesday morning, Kent were in total control come the end of the game when the two captains shook hands on the draw with the visitors declaring on 92 for 2, a lead of 136 runs.

The day started so well for Kent, with Essex resuming on 94 for 2 as Mark Davies dismissed Billy Godleman for 27 trapping him lbw, with Greg Smith the first of Charlie Shreck’s victims shortly after.

Then it was the turn of debutant Ivan Thomas to get his first wickets in Championship cricket as he firstly had Essex skipper James Foster superbly caught by Brendan Nash in the covers for just four and in his next over he trapped Mark Pettini lbw just eight runs short of his century.

Both Alviro Peterson and Ravi Bopara came to the wicket with their side still a long way short of Kent’s 225 and it wasn’t long before Davies picked up his fourth wicket of the innings as Peterson picked out Scott Newman.

David Masters and Tymal Mills were then to go in successive balls as Shreck looked to claim a hat-trick with Bopara (or his runner) finally run out without adding to the score in the next over.

It was farcical stuff as Bopara set off for a single, but then so did runner Greg Smith. In the end, it was Charlie Shreck that realised that Bopara shouldn’t have left his crease and the England man was run out by Geraint Jones who happily whipped off the bails.

In the end, Essex had only mustered 181 and conceded a 44 run lead to Kent in the first innings.

When it came to Kent having another bat, they were a lot more assured than they were the first time around with Key and Newman putting on a fifty run partnership.

Newman was eventually caught and bowled by Tom Westley for 24, whilst Ben Harmison (1) was caught by Westley with Mills picking up a wicket.

The game then meandered to a draw with Key finishing 40 not out on his 33rd birthday, whilst Brendan Nash spent some time in the middle finishing on 22 not out.

Kent take seven points from the game, a game they couldn’t have imagined they’d be well on top of at the end after being 9 for 5. They’ll take a lot of positives from this game ahead of next week’s encounter with Northamptonshire at Canterbury and more importantly they keep their unbeaten run going.

Mark Davies figures of 4 for 20 from 24.4 overs and Ivan Thomas’ return of 2 for 29 in sixteen overs were particularly impressive with Shreck back amongst the wickets.

What turned the game though was the 194 run partnership between Darren Stevens and Geraint Jones with the side deep in trouble.

Essex side: Godleman, Cook, Petersen, Bopara, Westley, Pettini, Smith, Foster, Masters, Mills, Willoughby.

Kent side: Newman, Key, Harmison, Nash, Powell, Stevens, Jones, Tredwell, Davies, Thomas, Shreck.

Result: Kent 225 all out (Stevens 119, Jones 88) & 92 for 2 declared, Essex 181 all out (Davies 4 for 20, Shreck 3 for 59, Thomas 2 for 29).

Pictures by Sarah Ansell. To see more of Sarah’s pictures, visit www.sarahcanterbury.com