Kent v Leicestershire: Bowlers bounce back on day 3
Tuesday 5th May 2015
Kent's bowlers battled back in blustery conditions at Canterbury with a much improved display with the ball.
Ivan Thomas and Darren Stevens claimed three wickets each as Kent reduced Leicestershire to 86-7 before Clint McKay's swashbuckling knock helped extend the visitors' lead to 307 at stumps.
Stoic resistance from Joe Denly (87) and Sam Northeast (84) put Kent on top earlier in the day before McKay intervened to claim six wickets from the Nackington Road end to restrict Kent to 289 after a 15-minute delay at the start due to earlier rain.
Denly and Northeast extended their fourth wicket stand to 139 – Kent's best of the summer to date.
Northeast, who battled to his third half-century of the campaign, also missed out on a century when he fell lbw to former Kent seamer Charlie Shreck for 84 then McKay ran through the tail with the second new ball.
Batting again soon after lunch, Leicestershire struggled as Ivan Thomas found his range to send both Matt Boyce and Ned Eckersley packing.
The visitors lost three more wickets for as many runs in the run-up to the tea interval when Mitch Claydon trapped fellow Australian Mark Cosgrove (29) lbw, leaving Darren Stevens to dislodge Angus Robson and Neil Pinner with accurate away swingers.
Only 199 runs ahead on 81 for five at the interval, the visitors were in danger of throwing away their healthy position when Kent won two further lbw appeals soon after the restart, before McKay's cameo.
The right-hander clattered seven fours and a six in a crucial stand of 62 inside 13 overs with Rob Taylor before Stevens made him his eighth victim of the game by plucking out off stump with a fine leg-cutter.
Taylor remained unbeaten on 33 through to the close, together with Jigar Naik (23 not out).