Jones digs in to take Kent to a second batting bonus point

Kent v Somerset LV= County Championship Division One, Day three at Canterbury

By Mark Pennell

Kent lost five wickets in Thursday“s opening session but their reply to Somerset“s 380 was still being underpinned by a cautious Geraint Jones.
The former England wicketkeeper had reached a stoic 85 not out by the interval to help the hosts reach 260 for eight to post a second batting bonus point.
Kent suffered their first loss of the day in the third over when Martin van Jaarsveld fell for 71 having only added a single to his overnight score.
In attempting to work to leg the vice-captain went leg before to Ben Phillips to end a fourth-wicket stand with Geraint Jones that added 129 in 38.2 overs.
Jones, who posted a patient half-century from 100 balls, then teamed up with Darren Stevens to add 55 inside 20 overs and take their side past the follow-on figure before Stevens went for a typically attractive 33 with five fours. Driving hard straight back at bowler Peter Trego, he stood amazed when the ex-Kent all-rounder took off to his left to claim a stunning one-handed return catch.
His replacement James Tredwell was fortunate to get off the mark when he nicked Trego between keeper Craig Kieswetter and first slip Marcus Trescothick for four to third man but, with only seven against his name he prodded forward to Murali Kartik to offer a bat-pad catch to Jos Butler under the helmet at short leg to make it 254 for six.
Somerset took the second new ball through Charl Willoughby after 80 overs and made their next breakthrough within six deliveries when Azhar Mahmood went for a five-ball duck. Thrusting late with bat and pad together, he played down the wrong line to an in-swinger to go leg before.
Then, to the last ball before lunch, Malinga Bandara (0) attempted to cut against Phillips only to be caught by Trego diving to his right in the gully to cling onto another dramatic effort.