Kent fighting again to save a match after Farhan Ahmed keeps them under control

In the Vitality County Championship, Kent was once again struggling to salvage a match. Early in the morning session, Kent were dismissed for 225 after being bowled out for 433 by Nathan Gilchrist, who finished with 4 for 101. Farhan Ahmed then claimed 4 for 37.

They had reached 85 runs without loss in their second innings in Canterbury against Nottinghamshire, but by the end of the second day, they were still 123 runs down.

When play was halted with seven planned overs remaining due to bad light, Ben Compton was 22 not out and Tawanda Muyeye was undefeated at 55.

With 76 runs scored against his previous team, Joey Evison was the top scorer, with 43 extra points coming from the extras column.

Kent was forced to continue, and thanks to the seven bonus points the visitors have accumulated, even if the hosts pull off an unlikely victory, Notts would only need to drop one point from their final match the following week at home against Warwickshire to guarantee Kent’s relegation. Should Lancashire defeat Somerset, Kent’s fate would be sealed regardless of what transpires over the final two days.

On day two, the visitors started on 393 for 6, and after Luke Fletcher produced a deft left shot against George Garrett, who clipped a bail, he had moved to 22.

After Rob Lord eluded a fierce first-ball plea for caught behind, Nathan Gilchrist trapped him leg before wicket in the following over, sending Ahmed’s off stump cartwheeling for two.

When Dane Schadendorf holed up to Akeem Jordan, he was the last person to go. Daniel Bell-Drummond took him out with a big run.

When Compton was declared leg before wicket to Fletcher for four deliveries and Muyeye was out for ten after flicking Fletcher to Lord on the square leg boundary, Kent’s reply was only five balls old.

Lunch was sixty for two, and Bell-Drummond left shortly after, getting caught off Lyndon James by Schadendorf for twenty-eight.

Joe Denly beat Lord to Schadendorf for five, and Kent’s luck almost ran out when Freddie McCann stopped Evison at one after he had defeated James.

Jack Leaning attempted to block a short ball that Lord gloved to Schadendorf, going for 26.

The game appeared to be finished in two days, much alone three, when Jack Haynes trapped Harry Finch at short leg with Ahmed’s opening delivery. However.

Jordan scored 23 in a stand of 63 with Evison before he was leg before wicket by Farhan Ahmed.

After a superb catch by McCann at short leg, Ahmed then got Parkinson for a 28-ball duck. The afternoon session, which had already seemed endless, became even longer when Jacob Duffy bowled Nathan Gilchrist for four with the final scheduled delivery before tea.

Kent were forced to follow on for the sixth time this season when Evison eventually holed out to Ahmed and was collected by Ben Slater on the deep cover boundary.

Also Read: Lancashire fight for survival, frustrating title-chasing Somerset

However, this wasn’t the first time this campaign that Kent performed better on the second try. Muyeye raced to 50 off of 49 balls, but at 6:06 p.m., play was called off due to failing light.