Bell-Drummond and Northeast centuries put Kent in control at Hampshire
Monday 15th September 2014
Daniel Bell-Drummond and Sam Northeast scored superb centuries at the Ageas Bowl as Kent gained the upper hand on day one of their LV= County Championship clash at promotion-chasing Hampshire.
The pair batted two sessions to put on an unbeaten 226-run partnership for the fourth wicket – Kent's highest stand this season as Bell-Drummond passed his best ever first class score of 135 not out at stumps with 21 fours in six hours at the crease.
Northeast continued his fine form with a fourth ton this summer, hitting 12 boundaries and a huge slog-sweep for six.
For the third successive four-day fixture, the 24-year-old vice-captain reached three figures after centuries versus Glamorgan and Essex were followed by 115 not out off 199 balls.
Neither batsman gave so much as a hint of a chance as Hampshire captain Jimmy Adams used eight bowlers in an attempt to break Kent’s stranglehold.
Not that it started that way. Kent captain Robert Key won the toss and chose to bat first and eight balls into the match was back in the pavilion wondering if he had made the right choice.
Former Kent pace bowler Matt Coles was particularly impressive in a hostile first spell, bowling the former England opener as Key played across the line to Coles’ second ball of the day.
Next man Ben Harmison was snapped up at 26 low at second slip by Liam Dawson to leave Coles celebrating his second wicket of the morning.
Only then in bright sunshine did Kent begin the task of repairing the damage as Bell-Drummond was joined by the quicker-scoring Brendan Nash in a stand of 60 for the third wicket.
This was ended in the last over before lunch when Nash attempted to sweep leg-spinner Imran Tahir and was adjudged leg before. At 86 for three the first session had been evenly contested.
Tahir’s wicket was his first for Hampshire since 2010 when he was last drafted in as a replacement, in this case for home-grown Danny Briggs who having been the club’s number one spinner all summer was forced to sit out arguably the club’s most important match of the season.
South African Test player Tahir did not have the best of days. Umpire Nigel Cowley issued him with a warning for running on to the wicket immediately after lunch and a change of ends did not bring a change of luck as Bell-Drummond and Northeast dug in comfortably.
With growing confidence and assurance, the fourth wicket pair took Kent into tea at 178 for three with Hampshire, getting no assistance from the pitch, long since running out of ideas.
So it continued in the final session, Bell-Drummond reaching the fourth century of his career in the 75th over with a single to mid-on off Dawson and Northeast not long behind him in reaching three figures.
Coles was the pick of the bowlers in taking two for 44 from 17 overs while Imran Tahir’s solitary success came in 20 overs, costing 73 runs.
The hosts took the new ball after tea but could not halt the progress of the home-grown duo who secured a second batting bonus point as Hampshire's bowlers struggled to beat the bat.
Hampshire require a win to boost their promotion hopes but on this evidence it could be tough to take 20 Kent wickets.
Northeast said:’’ Dropping down the order has been the key factor in my recent good form. I am feeling much more relaxed when I go to the crease.
‘’I am delighted to have scored three hundreds in consecutive matches. In truth it was a pretty flat deck out there after lunch and the plan is to carry on until lunch on the second day if at all possible.’’