Match Report: Kent v Loughborough MCCU, Day Two – Tuesday 8th April
Tuesday 8th April 2014
Kent were made to work hard against Loughborough MCCU on the first day of action at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence.
Play got underway on time following the washout and overnight rain that had greeted the opening first class fixture of the hop county's season. By the close the home side were 238 behind with 9 first innings wickets in hand.
A docile pitch, lacking any real pace, ensured that the Loughborough batsman were able to construct a very solid start to their innings. The opening bowlers, Mitch Claydon and Robbie Joseph, however bowled tight spells, and it was Joseph – announced today as having agreed terms that will see him at The Spitfire Ground in 2014 – who took the first wicket, inducing an edge from Mark Best (1) which was safely taken by Darren Stevens.
Loughborough continued steadily losing only Sterland (27) – on the hook to David Griffiths – before lunch, which was taken at 91 for 2.
After the interval Claydon took the wicket of Anish Patel, who was looking to get on with things, caught in the slips again by Stevens.
Having progressed to 160 for 3 there was then a clatter of wickets as five wickets fell for the addition of 44 runs. Adam Ball joined the list of wicket takers, and with the score 204 for 8, it looked like the students would not post a total that looked likely earlier in the day.
That was before Will MacVicar, a regular in the Kent 2nd XI in 2013 got stuck in. In a well organised and counter attacking innings he scored 79 (which included 8 fours and 2 sixes) before he was finally bowled by Griffiths.
Three overs later it was Claydon (who finished with the day's best figures of 4 for 50) who took Loughborough's final wicket, the students finishing 271 all out.
With under an hour left in the day, Kent facing a tricky period to the close, lost Rob Key without scoring, bowled for nought, but Northeast and Bell-Drummond saw the next 10 overs out and will resume on day 3 with Kent on 33 for 1.
It was a day of ideal preparation for the home side as they prepare for the start of their Championship campaign against Worcestershire at New Road on Sunday.