Coles and Stevens strike twice on day one
Kent beat the bat on several occasions but only had five Durham wickets to show for their efforts at stumps on day one of the Specsavers County Championship match.
Matt Coles and Darren Stevens each struck twice as veteran visiting skipper Paul Collingwood passed 16,000 first class runs with an unbeaten 93.
Durham rallied after losing a brace of wickets in each of the first two sessions to go in at stumps on 318 for five as Collingwood and fifth-wicket partner Ryan Pringle (71) combined either side of tea to add 141 in 42.3 overs.
Kent paceman Matt Coles was reasonably happy with his side’s five-wicket return.
The 27-year-old said: “It wasn’t brilliant, but by no means the worse day we’ve had so far. There was a lot of playing and missing over the course of the day which are good signs going into the second day.
“We will stick together and hope to clean up the tail in the morning. I bowled a bit too wide if I’m honest. We’ve got a fairly new ball to go with in the morning and possibly a little bit of dew overnight will assist us.”
Click here to pre-buy tickets to save on gate prices
Collingwood escaped a couple of concerted appeals for LBW, but otherwise appeared untroubled against a useful Kent attack that, for the first time, included Pakistan spinner Yasir Shah.
Batting first after winning the toss, Durham openers Stephen Cook and Keaton Jennings did well to survive tight, new-ball bursts by Matt Coles and Darren Stevens. Having posted a first-wicket stand of 79, both departed within seven deliveries.
Jennings lost his off stump to Will Gidman’s sixth ball of the match, a skidding leg-cutter, to go for 43, then, in the next over, Stephen Cook, having mustered a patient 25, played across the line to a full delivery from Coles to exit lbw.
Yasir came on at the Nackington Road End for the customary over before lunch and his 20 overs cost 60 runs.
The same could not be said of Stevens who, soon after the interval, drew Graham Clark (13) forward with an away-swinger that feathered the bat for a catch behind by Adam Rouse.
The veteran Kent all-rounder then bamboozled 21-year-old Cameron Steel (34) who pushed inside the line at one that nipped off the pitch to clip the top of off stump.
Kent ought to have had a fifth victim when Pringle, on eight, edged an attempted drive against Coles into the cordon only for Gidman to down a chance at second slip.
Four down at tea but with a first batting bonus point in the bank, Collingwood posted his fourth 50 of the campaign from 84 balls and with 8 fours. Then Pringle reached his 50 from 92 balls and with eight boundaries.
Pringle finally went to the second new ball for a season’s best 71 after spending 158 minutes at the crease. Coles got one to dart down the St Lawrence slope and take the toe end of the bat for Rouse to pull off a tumbling catch behind the timbers.
Kent paceman Matt Coles was reasonably happy with his side’s five-wicket return. “It wasn’t brilliant, but by no means the worse day we’ve had so far. There was a lot of playing and missing over the course of the day which are good signs going into the second day.
“We will stick together and hope to clean up the tail in the morning. I bowled a bit too wide if I’m honest. We’ve got a fairly new ball to go with in the morning and possibly a little bit of due overnight will assist us.”