Dickson and Crawley help Kent build lead

Sean Dickson hit his fourth first class century and debutant Zak Crawley scored his first senior 50 as Kent secured a first-innings lead of 66 against the West Indies at The Spitfire Ground.

Dickson, who scored a treble-hundred at The County Ground, Beckenham last month, marched to three figures from 157 balls with 15 fours and a brace of sixes.

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The pair combined to post a record 182 for Kent’s second wicket – beating the county’s previous best against the tourists of 79 set by Brian Luckhurst and Alan Knott in 1969.

While Dickson, 25, took the plaudits, Crawley cut an impressive figure reaching a 94-ball 50 as Kent moved past the tourists’ modest total of 265 all out soon after tea.

Crawley, 19 years-old and six feet six inches tall, played a mature and responsible knock full of well-timed drives and pulls as Kent, resuming on their overnight score of one for one, dominated.

The pair set out to punish anything loose or wide as the Kent Cricket Academy graduate got off the mark on his first-class debut with a rasping pull for four through mid-wicket against Alzarri Joseph.

Crawley said: “I felt very comfortable batting out there with Sean and to put on 180-odd was just excellent and a very nice way to start off my first-class career.

“It was a nice deck and was more comfortable to play off the front foot, but they bowled fairly tightly in the mid-session and we had to show some patience and play it on its merits.

“I nicked one just short of the keeper but to be honest I felt pretty comfortable out there. My first 15 to 20 run were a bit nerve wracking, but after that I relaxed and felt pretty good.”

The teenager posted a 94-ball 50 before he was superbly caught at slip for 62 off the bowling of Alzarri Joseph before acting captain Sam Billings made an attractive 25 before being run out just before tea by Shai Hope.

The tourists fought back after tea with Dickson departed to a fine catch on the long-off boundary by Joseph off the bowling of leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo.

Adam Ball and Will Gidman then departed in successive overs before Adam Rouse was bowled by the visitors’ stand-in skipper Kraigg Brathwaite.

The second new ball offered more assistance to the Caribbean seam attack as Alzarri Joseph picked up the wickets of Charlie Hartley and Adam Riley in successive overs before the close.

Calum Haggett ended unbeaten on 29 after a blow to the hand in a gritty knock before Sam Billings declared in the final over of the day.