Rain thwarts final day drama
Kent drew with Leicestershire as rain denied both sides a dramatic finish to their Specsavers County Championship clash in Canterbury.
The floodlights were on and a second sharp shower greeted the players as they scampered off for tea with Leicestershire on 135 for six after 35 overs of their second innings.
Kent had hopes of forcing victory over winless Leicestershire by picking up four wickets in 90 minutes of the opening session.
Batting for a second time and holding a modest first-innings lead of 17, Leicestershire lost both openers in the space of seven overs.
Harry Dearden shouldered arms to a Darren Stevens in-swinger to depart lbw then Michael Carberry’s unhappy return to Canterbury continued when he was snared full in front by a shooting off-cutter by Adam Milne.
Foxes’ skipper Mark Cosgrove treated his innings like a T20 Blast net session, spanking 34 off 19 balls – including 24 from five successive deliveries from Matt Coles – before top-edging an attempted paddle off Coles to the keeper.
Then, on the cusp of the lunch break, Ned Eckersley went back and across his stumps in aiming to leg to also go leg before, this time to Mitch Claydon.
At the start of the final day, Kent batted on in search of a fourth batting bonus point only to fall 17 runs short despite an eye-catching career best 39 by Imran Qayyum and 22 not out from Adam Milne.
Qayyum was the last man to go, edging an attempted steer to third man to the keeper, while Neil Dexter was the clear pick of the Foxes attack with figures of five for 76.
Rain first arrived during the lunch interval and led to the loss of an hour’s play and 19 overs, but Kent were soon back amongst the wickets when Colin Ackermann (34) swept across a quicker one from left-arm spinner Imran Qayyum to become the 11th lbw victim of the game.
Foxes’ first-innings top-scorer Lewis Hill soon departed to the same bowler without scoring. Seemingly troubled by a man in at silly point, he drove hard only to miscue to Joe Denly at cover to make it 114 for six. The hosts led by 152 at the tea break.
Next up, Kent face trips on consecutive Tuesdays to Durham, Bristol and Chesterfield before the final home game against Glamorgan, starting on Monday 25 September.