Kent frustrated by last-wicket pair
Monday 30th July 2012
Hampshire captain Jimmy Adams and last man Danny Briggs survived 20 overs to deny Kent a seemingly certain victory in their LV= County Championship Division Two match at the Ageas Bowl.
The hosts, needing 175 to make Kent bat a second time, looked to be facing defeat at 144 for nine in the 71st over.
However, Briggs came out to join opening batsman Adams and the last-wicket pair held out against a ring of close fielders and were given the benefit of some desperate lbw appeals.
Kent had to be satisfied with 10 points from the draw and Hampshire escaped with seven after being battered for the best part of four days.
Only the weather, which washed out 62 overs from the third day's schedule, saved Hampshire from a heavy loss.
Kent began the last day 438 for eight in their first innings in response to Hampshire's 292 and seemed determined to make up for lost time.
Matt Coles, who had hit Briggs for two sixes in an over the previous day, hammered a rapid 24 before lifting Liam Dawson into the deep where David Balcombe completed the catch.
James Tredwell was the last to depart, caught behind off Sean Ervine at 467, leaving Hampshire with 91 overs to see out to prevent an innings defeat.
Hampshire made a poor start, slumping to 10 for three as Charlie Shreck swiftly removed Bilal Shafayat and Simon Katich, and Mark Davies found a way through James Vince's defences.
Adams held firm as Dawson, Ervine and Michael Bates followed to make Hampshire 117 for six.
Only then was there some resistance from Dimitri Mascarenhas in a stand of 26 in a crease-occupying 16 overs, before further calamities befell Hampshire.
Tredwell dismissed Mascarenhas and Coles came back into the attack to get rid of David Balcombe and James Tomlinson with successive deliveries in the 71st over.
Briggs denied Coles a hat-trick and then set about offering his captain the support he had not previously received.
At the end of their defiance Hampshire were just 11 in front as exasperated Kent ran out of time.
Adams was 85 not out from 255 balls and Briggs unbeaten with 20 from 57 balls, their jobs done.
Disappointed Tredwell finished with three for 62, but Kent had been denied a precious win which would have lifted them within promotion contention.
Photo: Sarah Ansell SarahCanterbury.com