Denly’s last ball demise takes gloss of Kent’s opening day

Kent v Derbyshire LV County Championship Division 2, Canterbury.
By Mark Pennell
KENT opening bat Joe Denly fell to the final ball of the opening day as LV County Championship second division leaders went in at stumps on 49 for one after 10 overs in reply to Derbyshire“s total of 303.
Denly, looked untroubled in reaching 28 from 30 balls including five fours but, to the very last ball of the day, he pushed at a leg-cutter from Tim Groenewald to edge to Chris Rogers at second slip.
So Kent will go into the second day 252 in arrears, that after a late rally by second-placed Derbyshire and a 70-run last-wicket stand that included a second successive championship 50 for Steffan Jones.
Jones, who joined Kent on loan from Somerset at the start of the season, clobbered an unbeaten 53 from 55 balls with seven fours and a six for his part in the 10th wicket partnership that frustrated Kent for 19 overs.
When Wayne Parnell had Groenewald caught behind off an attempted slash soon after tea, it appeared Kent would soon be batting but Jones and Jake Needham (20) dug in to take the visitors past 300 for their third batting bonus point before Amjad Khan returned with the new ball to account for Needham and give Geraint Jones a third catch for the innings.
Having won the toss and elected to bat first at the start of a bright and breezy day, Derbyshire had posted 46 for their first wicket before Simon Cook stuck with his sixth ball of the day; running one back in off the seam he snared Wayne Madsen (3) leg before.
Cook should have celebrated again two overs later when he found the outside edge of left-hander Chris Rogers“ bat only for the chance to fly between keeper Jones and first slip Kemp with neither man laying a hand on it as the ball flew for four to third man.
Rogers went on to reach an attractive half-century from 57 balls and with nine fours but, with his score on 53, he leant back to square-cut a long hop from Ryan McLaren obligingly into the hands of Joe Denly at cover.
Then, two overs before lunch, Tredwell struck with his first delivery of the day when Garry Park (11) nicked an arm ball low to slip where Kemp this time pocketed a sharp, low chance that made it 96 for three.
Tredwell took his tally to four wickets as Derbyshire lost five wickets in the mid-session, three of them falling to Tredwell after he had conceded four sixes to West Indian batsman Wavell Hinds.
Soon after lunch Cook had Dan Redfern (29) smartly caught low down at second slip by Martin van Jaarsveld then, in the following over, Tredwell turned one on to Greg Smith to have him well caught at short leg by a diving Rob Key.
After a brief recovery Danish-born Freddie Klokker (13) offered a catch to Geraint Jones after being cramped in his attempted pull shot to an Amjad Khan bouncer then, after a cameo 74 from 90 balls, Hinds lost his head by advancing to drive Tredwell only to nick to slip.
Just before tea Tredwell made it four for 62 (he ended up with 4-92) when Graham Wagg edged an attempted push drive to Kemp at first slip.