Lancashire v Kent: Denly leads resistance in follow-on
Tuesday 28th April 2015
Joe Denly passed 7,000 first-class career runs as his knock of 60 enhanced Kent's hopes of salvaging a result at Emirates Old Trafford.
The visitors must bat out a large chunk of the final day of this LV= County Championship match after securing their first batting bonus points of the season.
Brendan Nash and Sam Northeast saw out a tricky spell either side of an evening rain delay as Kent now trail by 44 runs after Lancashire enforced the follow-on.
Kent were eventually all out for 252 after Northeast’s gritty three-hour innings of 55 was ended by Lancashire’s Kyle Jarvis (4/50).
Resuming on 214 for seven, Mitch Claydon was caught in the gully by Ashwell Prince off Peter Siddle for 21 before Sam Northeast hooked Jarvis to Siddle (2/57) at long leg.
Final pair Ivan Thomas and Adam Riley shepherded the score over 250 before Riley was snaffled at slip by Paul Horton off Simon Kerrigan (2/27) for six.
Facing a 192-run first-innings deficit, Joe Denly led the resistance second time round with a fluent 60 including nine boundaries before Jarvis trapped him LBW just after tea.
Debutant Jordan Clark earlier dismissed Daniel Bell-Drummond, edged behind to ‘keeper Alex Davies for 18 and Rob Key’s middle stump was dislodged by a Peter Siddle yorker after he made 34 of a 62-run stand with Denly in almost 20 overs.
Rain delayed the evening session with Nash and Northeast forced to see out four overs before stumps.
Kent wicketkeeper-batsman Sam Billings said: "I think on a good wicket, we batted poorly first innings. It was one of those where we really had to dig in second innings and think we’ve done a good job so far, especially getting through a little period of four overs left in the day.
"There’s no doubt we have the ability in the dressing room to bat really well tomorrow and who knows, on a day four pitch, if you get a lead of 150 you never know. It could be quite an interesting last day’s play."