Kent bat on rain-reduced opening day
Sunday 1st April 2018
Only 33 overs were possible as a wet outfield and gloomy skies prevented further play as Kent entertained Oxford MCCU at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence.
Joe Denly skippered the side for the first time at home after leading Kent in the pre-season FGS Plant Tour and the visitors won the toss and opted to field first.
The groundstaff’s travails were rewarded with play from 1.40pm after several downpours in recent days saturated the outfield.
Sean Dickson departed in the 14th over as he shouldered arms to Herefordshire left-armer Alex Wilkinson who used the slope from the Nackington Road end to good effect to hit the top of off stump.
Zak Crawley batted fluently in his sixth first class match, striking the ball cleanly with a straight bat before falling to fellow Tonbridge School graduate Toby Pettman for 42.
The former Sussex age-group player found his outside edge and the gloves of diving debutant gloveman James Seward.
The 20-year-old Cheshire wicketkeeper was one of four debutants and another struck again before tea as Australian seamer Will Robertson enticed Alex Blake to prod a delivery to Luke Webb at mid-wicket for 28 for his maiden first class wicket.
Tea arrived with skipper Denly and Darren Stevens unbeaten before the umpires drew stumps for the day.
With a wet forecast for the remaining two days, that could be the only action of the match.