LV=CC: Kent suffer defeat at the hands of Warwickshire

Warwickshire v Kent
LV=County Championship – Division One
Tuesday, 31 August – Friday, 3 September 2010
Edgbaston, Birmingham

Warwickshire won by 95 runs

Warwickshire first innings: 294 all out, 84.4 overs
Botha 76, Tahir 69*, Woakes 30
Coles 3-49, Stevens 3-63, Cook 2-65

Kent first innings: 111 all out, 31.3 overs
Blake 33, Northeast 32, Tredwell 12
Woakes 6-52, Carter 3-46, Clarke 1-4

Warwickshire second innings: 140 all out, 33.1 overs
Woakes 51, Carter 26, Johnson 10
Stevens 4-38, Azhar 4-51, Coles 1-21

Kent second innings: 228 all out, 60.1 overs
van Jaarsveld 110*, Jones 41, Northeast 14
Woakes 5-45, Carter 5-60

Match report by Sam Dixon

An unbeaten century from Martin van Jaarsveld (pictured) was all in vain as Kent slipped into the LV=County Championship division one relegation zone after fellow candidates Warwickshire secured a 95 run win, inside three days at Edgbaston.

The visitors cause wasn“t helped in this match as they recorded a staggering eight ducks between them and, in pursuit of an unlikely 324 to win; they crumbled to 161 for nine within thirty minutes of play this morning. Only a last wicket stand of 67 between van Jaarsveld and Matt Coles allowed the South African to reach his three figures as Kent fell short of their target.

Still requiring another 193 runs to win on day three at Edgbaston, Kent“s task was made a whole lot tougher when Darren Stevens was dismissed. The all-rounder, who played positively striking three boundaries in a run-a-ball 14, gave Neil Carter his third wicket of the innings with Varun Chopra taking the catch. The wicket sparked a spell of Kent losing four wickets for just nine runs, in 33 balls, as Rob Key“s men slipped to 161 for nine.

In the same over as Stevens“ departure Carter also accounted for Alex Blake, as he nicked off to Richard Johnson without troubling the scorers and then Chris Woakes completed his ten-wicket haul for the match when he had Azhar Mahmood caught by Darren Maddy for a duck. Simon Cook also failed to offer resistance as he perished to Woakes, trapped in front for no score.

Coles joined van Jaarsveld, who had just reached fifty, at the crease and again batted with great maturity to add some respectability to the Kent card. The pair added 67 in 15 overs as the stand allowed the vice captain to swiftly move from fifty to his ton in 51 balls. His final total of 110 not out included 16 boundaries. Just as the most optimistic Kent fan may have started thinking the unthinkable, Coles did finally fall for 13 as Carter took his fifth wicket to give him fine match figures of 8-106 as the Bears took a crucial win. Despite Carter“s heroics, it was Woakes who took the plaudits in this game as his match figures of 11-97, to go with his second-innings fifty, ultimately proved to be the deciding factor between the two sides in a game which won“t be remembered for impressive batting.

With Hampshire struggling in their current LV=CC clash with Lancashire, it now looks like their meeting with Kent at the St Lawrence Ground next week is a must win for both sides as they chase division one survival.

Picture:Sarah Ansell