Coles puts Kent in control

Matt Coles enhanced his burgeoning reputation with four wickets as Yorkshire were all out 247 on the opening day of their LV= County Championship Division Two clash in Canterbury.

Coles, who scored a century against the same opponents in the reverse fixture at the start of the season, took four for 70 and had another couple of opportunities dropped as Yorkshire's top order all failed to build on starts.

With 23 wickets to his name already, Coles, who turns 22 next month, proved a handful for the Yorkshire players bowling short of a length and at a healthy pace.

The opening session proved attritional in the extreme as Yorkshire added 52 in 30 overs having lost the toss at the start of the match.

Coles made the breakthrough, bowling Joe Sayers after the left-hander mistakenly shouldered arms, before Darren Stevens swung one in to trap his partner Joe Root lbw.

After lunch Yorkshire captain Andrew Gale stabbed at a good delivery from Mark Davies to be caught behind by Geraint Jones, while Stevens produced a similar delivery to send back Phil Jacques.

Jonny Bairstow came to the crease and made an eye-catching 32 that included a couple of fluent drives.

Dropped at second slip when on 12 off the bowling of Coles, he then needlessly gave away his wicket by driving uppishly to short extra cover to gift Coles another scalp.

Tim Bresnan and Gary Balance posted 51 for the sixth wicket before the England all-rounder went back to a quicker ball from James Tredwell to be pinned leg before.

The second new ball was only nine deliveries old when Charlie Shreck ran one through the defence of Ballance to knock back middle stump and spark a collapse that saw Yorkshire lose their last four wickets for 26.

Adil Rashid feathered a Charlie Shreck leg-cutter to the keeper before Ajmal Shahzad picked out the only leg-side fielder in the deep against Coles.

Ryan Sidebottom swished lustily to contribute 17 to the cause before Coles re-arranged his stumps to close the Yorkshire innings just after 6pm.

Kent openers Sam Northeast, playing instead of the injured Kent captain Rob Key, and on-loan Scott Newman survived the last over of the day from Bresnan to see their side through to the second day on four without loss.

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Photo Sarah Ansell SarahCanterbury.com