Kent claim three wickets to leave local derby hanging in the balance

Kent v Essex LV= County Championship, Division 1, final day in Canterbury.

By Mark Pennell

Kent“s hopes of climbing out of the first division relegation berths hangs in the balance at Canterbury where their dogfight with local rivals Essex continues into its final day.
Needing 277 for victory having dominated proceedings on day three, Essex resumed on 48 for one and by lunch had reached 130 for four after 42 overs – leaving them to score a further 147 in order to notch their third win of the campaign.
Kent made their first breakthrough of the morning in the third over when Amjad Khan accounted for Tom Westley for 25. Pushing forward in defence the ball took the edge and flew to second slip where Martin van Jaarsveld held a regulation chance.
Azhar Mahmood then produced a snorter to send Jaik Mickleburgh packing for 24. Shaping the ball back in to the right-hander as he pushed half forward in defence, it cut back through the gate to peg back middle and off stumps and make it 64 for three.
Ravi Bopara and matt Walker nigh on doubled the Essex total before Simon Cook replaced Khan at the Nackington Road End to break their stand, though the much of the credit must go to keeper Geraint Jones.
As Bopara lost balance and switched his feet when trying to leg glance, so Jones gathered and whipped off the bails to end his 55-ball innings for 31.
Matthew Walker (33) and James Foster (3) made it through to the interval, though both looked uncomfortable against the spin of James Tredwell and during Malinga Bandara“s sole over before lunch.