Azhar’s cameo 28 takes Kent to maximum batting bonus points

Kent v Essex LV= County Championship Division One. Day two, at Canterbury.

By Mark Pennell

Kent made steady if unspectacular progress on Friday morning to reach 420 all out on day two of their Division 1 championship clash with Essex at St Lawrence.
Having been dismissed in the 116th over, Rob Key“s side restricted the visitors to 12 without loss from the six overs bowled by the lunch interval.
Resuming on their overnight score of 360 for six, Kent lost two wickets in the space of three balls but fought back through a ninth-wicket stand worth 52 in 15.5 overs between Malinga Bandara and Azhar Mahmood to post maximum batting bonus points.
The hosts lost their first wicket of the morning to the 11th ball of the day from Andrew Carter. Despite labouring in his run up from the Nackington Road End, Carter got one to nip in off the seam to left-handed James Tredwell (19), the ball brushed the inside edge and carried through to keeper James Foster.
Two balls later, David Masters ducked one in to night watchman Amjad Khan (1) to trap him leg before when playing late and around his front pad and make it 361 for eight.
With 10 balls to spare Mahmood pushed a single off his legs to post the Kent 400 for a fifth and final batting bonus points, and both he and Bandara attempted to play with more freedom thereafter.
The attacking intent backfired for Mahmood when, with his score on 28, he sliced an attempted straight drive against carter to substitute fielder Chris Wright at mid-off.
Last man Simon Cook hit two boundaries before edging a cut off Bryce McGain to end the Kent innings on 420 at 12.27pm and give McGain figures of five for 151.