Kent ease to comfortable win
Friday 25th May 2012
Kent wrapped up their second win of the LV= Championship Division Two campaign in emphatic style by dismissing Leicestershire for 113 to complete an innings and 279-run victory with 17 overs and a day to spare.
Having batted on until shortly after lunchand posting 533 all out, their second highest total of the summer, Kent set the visitors an unlikely target of 392 simply to make the hosts bat a second time.
By tea the result was as good as decided as Leicestershire slumped to 65 for seven inside 30 overs.
Off-spinner James Tredwell's 11-ball purple patch of three for seven saw debutant Preston Mommsen out to a bat-pad catch at short leg, Josh Cobb snaffled at slip and Claude Henderson bowled after the ball rolled back onto the stumps via the top of the pad and arm guard.
Having toiled in the field for nearly 11 hours in the course of the second and third days, Leicestershire looked tired and disinterested second time around as they succumbed in 46 overs.
The slide started when Will Jefferson padded up to a Charlie Shreck off-cutter to go leg before and make it seven for one. Then, 13 runs later, Jacques du Toit fended at a lifting leg-cutter from Mark Davies to edge the first of three catches to wicketkeeper Geraint Jones.
Ramnaresh Sarwan drove airily at Matt Coles to drag the ball onto his stumps and trudge off for nine, then Greg Smith (11) pushed down the wrong line to a Darren Stevens off-cutter to go lbw.
Tredwell then enjoyed his three-wicket burst before Kent polished off the job through Stevens, who took the last three to finish with four for 24.
Ned Eckersley pushed away from the body to edge behind, Wayne White followed suit to be caught at slip, then Nathan Buck, after posting a career-best 27, fended lamely to the wicketkeeper.
The third day had started with Kent resuming on 404 for six in their first innings.
Overnight century-maker Michael Powell departed for 134 having added only a single to end a seventh-wicket stand worth 104 with Tredwell.
After posting a 122-ball 50, his first of the season, Tredwell moved to within 13 of his century when he played back against Henderson only to drag the ball on and make it 505 for nine.
Coles added a belligerent 47 before snicking behind, then Davies was stumped to give Henderson figures of five for 116.
Kent had plenty of energy remaining in the tank and polished off the win just after 5pm to bank 22 points, while Leicestershire travelled home with only one.
Photo Sarah Ansell SarahCanterbury.com