Rain ruins second day at Chelmsford
Thursday 10th May 2012
Just 10 deliveries were possible at Chelmsford on the second day of Kent's LV= County Championship Division Two clash with Essex.
Kent advanced from their overnight 17 for five to 24 for five.
Heavy overnight rain had left the outfield extremely wet, while there were also concerns with the bowlers run-ups, and that combination delayed a restart until 2.45pm.
With the floodlights on, Kent resumed in gloomy conditions, and the first ball of the day lifted alarmingly off a length as Charl Willoughby rapped Geraint Jones on the pads.
That brought passionate leg before wicket appeals from the Essex side, but the former England player survived.
After amaiden from David Masters, Jones finally got the scoreboard moving from the ninth ball of the day when he drove Willoughby into the offside for three runs.
Darren Stevens then found the ropes at deep extra cover with the next ball but that was to herald the end of play for the day as rain started to fall once more and the umpires took the players off the field.
An early tea was taken in the hope there would be an improvement in the weather, but play was formally called off at 4.25pm.
In the little time they have been in the middle, both Jones, who is seven not out and Stevens, on eight, have given indications that they are prepared to play forcefully to ease Kent out of their parlous position.
Essex took to the field with their overseas signing Alviro Petersen who had turned an ankle in the warm-up before the resumption of play. The South African Test opener is expected to be fully fit for the remaining two days of the match.
Photo: Sarah Ansell SarahCanterbury.com