Kent lose three mid-session wickets after rain delays Wednesday’s start

Kent v Hampshire LV= County Championship, day two in Canterbury.

By Mark Pennell

Kent lost three top-order wickets in the mid-session on Wednesday as Hampshire edged ahead in this Division 1 relegation dogfight.
Heavy overnight rain followed by early morning showers put paid to the entire first session. Match umpires Nigel Cowley and Rob Bailey inspected conditions at noon and finally got play underway at 1.35pm with the loss of 30 overs.
By Wednesday“s tea break Kent had reached 124 for four with Martin van Jaarsveld on 39 and Darren Stevens with five – a match defecit of 80 runs.
Kent made a bright start by adding 36 to their overnight score inside 10 overs before suffering their first casualty.
Rob Key (19) appeared to play across the line of a Dominic Cork off-cutter to go leg before to make it 41 for two and end Key“s 82-ball vigil without a boundary.
Joe Denly and Martin van Jaarsveld doubled the total before Denly, on 42, pushed defensively inside the line of a Sean Ervine leg-cutter that clattered into middle and off stumps.
Geraint Jones was next to go, leg before when driving at left-arm spinner Danny Briggs for five though he walked off inspecting ruefully the inside edge of his bat.
Picture: Sarah Ansell