Masters helps Essex avoid the follow-on at St Lawrence

Kent v Essex LV= County Championship Division One, day three at Canterbury.

By Mark Pennell

A determined rearguard action saved Essex from the follow-on in Canterbury on Saturday as their first innings finished on the stroke of the lunch interval at 279 all out – an overall deficit in the match of 141.
Kent took the new ball with the Essex score on 200 for six and struck in the seventh over with it when Amjad Khan enticed Mark Pettini to flash outside off stump and edge to first slip where James Tredwell took a sharp overhead catch to end Pettini“s 325-minute stay for 88.
Former Kent seamer David Masters counter attacked with some attractive shots to edge Essex to within 14 of the follow-on at 257 before Kent enjoyed their next breakthrough.
Bryce McGain (14) took a stride down the pitch looking to drive at Tredwell only to edge to Jones then, three balls later, Masters resistance came to an end with his score on 42 when he pushed half forward and down the wrong line to fall leg before to Malinga Bandara.
Andy Carter, on loan from Nottinghamshire, lofted a straight six off Tredwell to cut the deficit further and last man Maurice Chambers clubbed four over long-on to edge the visitors to 268.
It was Carter who clipped a brace of twos through mid-wicket against Bandara to pass 271 and save his side the ignominy of batting again.
In the over before lunch Chambers (6) holed out to Tredwell at long-on against Bandara to end the innings just before 1pm and leave Carter unbeaten on 16.