Jones century leaves Kent in good shape against Surrey

Kent v Surrey, LV County Championship Division 2, Day two, Canterbury
By Mark Pennell
GERAINT JONES remains on course for his first 1,000-run summer after hitting his fourth century of the championship campaign to leave his side in good shape at the mid-point of their four-day clash with Surrey.
Jones reached his three-figure milestonin the penultimate over of the day with a sweep for two to fine leg against Chris Schofield to reach the milestone from 158 balls with 17 fours and a six.
He finished the day unbeaten on 102 in tandem with Daren Stevens (25*) as Kent went in at stumps well placed on 242 for three after 61 overs in reply to Surrey“s total of 423 all out.
Jones came in at the fall of the first wicket, that of captain Rob Key who, having reached 13 from 12 balls and with three fours, was pinned full on the back foot by a near yorker-length delivery from Jade Dernbach.
Jones was given a first ball life when Michael Brown, at the finer of two gulleys, downed a regulation chance as the former England right-hander fenced at a leg-cutter.
Surrey were made to pay dearly for the miss as Jones and Northeast (48) added 91 in 23 overs for the second wicket before the latter, just to short of his second 50 of the championship campaign and two overs before tea, clipped back a return catch to off-spinner Matt Spriegel.
Jones and Martin van Jaarsveld added an attractive 80 in 20 overs broken only by the tea interval, but there was no doubting Surrey“s joy when they snared the South African for 28.
Having taken the Brown Caps for three centuries in his last two championship matches, van Jaarsveld missed an attempted paddle sweep against Schofield to go leg before and make it 193 for three.
Jones had moved smoothly into the 70s but a blow on the helmet from a brisk, skidding bouncer from Stuart Meaker appeared to unsettle the right-hander for a while, but nothing would stop him for posting his second century against Surrey to reach a season“s first-class aggregate of 902 runs in the process.
Earlier, Surrey lost their last six wickets in a shade over three hours and 40 overs for the addition of a further 162 runs.
The visitors suffered their most high-profile casualty Mark Ramprakash to only the 10th ball he had faced of the day when, in fencing at a delivery from Simon Cook from the Pavilion End, Ramprakash got the shoulder of his bat to a lifter and the ball looped gently into the hands of van Jaarsveld at second slip to send the former England man packing after 131 minutes for 46.
Five overs later, left-hander Schofield (9) became the third victim of the innings for young right-arm seamer Phil Edwards who, bowling from the Nackington Road End, moved one off the seam down the slope to take a thick outside edge that flew to van Jaarsveld“s left at second slip for another safe catch.
Van Jaarsveld took his third catch of the morning session in the 109th over to make it 340 for seven when he went low to his left to snaffle an outside edge off the driving bat of right-hander Meaker (23) in the first over of a new spell from Amjad Khan.
The catch took van Jaarsveld“s season“s tally to 26, taking him level with Justin Kemp as the club“s leading outfield catcher.
Kemp shone with the ball in having Jade Dernbach (5) caught overhead at point by Northeast off a sliced and somewhat mistimed drive then, just before lunch, Khan switched to the Pavilion End to trap Spriegel leg before.
On the back foot and working to leg to one that nipped back down the slope Sprigel“s 123-ball stay ended just one short of a half-century to give Kent their third bowling bonus point just 15 balls prior to the 120-over cut off point.
Kent polished off the innings four overs after lunch when Pedro Collins, in attempting to swish a short one from Khan through mid-wicket, dragged the ball onto the base of his stumps to give Khan flattering figures of five for 113.
Edwards finished with creditable figures of three for 72 on his championship bow and Collins contributed 23 and Tim Linley an unbeaten 35, both representing their best scores for the county.
Photo by ARPics