Match Report: Yorkshire vs. Kent
Kent travelled to Headingley Cricket Ground to take on Yorkshire in Division One of the LV= Insurance County Championship.
Day Four Report:
Kent were denied the opportunity to take 10 wickets in the final 21 overs of a pulsating final day by bad light, with an LV= Insurance County Championship draw secured against Yorkshire at Headingley.
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Umpires Graham Lloyd and Steve O’Shaughnessy took the players off the field before a ball had been bowled in the Yorkshire chase following impressive innings from Kent trio Ben Compton (93), Grant Stewart (90) and Ollie Robinson (85 not out).
Yorkshire captain Steve Patterson was at the heart of a loss of four wickets for nine runs in 24 balls. He claimed three of them to finish with five for 54 in 29.3 overs.
Opener Compton and wicketkeeper Robinson played doughty innings, while injured all-rounder Stewart (hamstring) was far more aggressive as he struggled for mobility and required a runner.
Kent started the day on 118 for two, trailing by 162.
Compton is now the top division’s leading run-scorer with 560 and fell before Lunch to leave the score at 182 for five.
Stewart and Robinson then shared 166 for the seventh wicket, a Kent record in matches versus Yorkshire, either side of tea having come together at 218 for six, a deficit of 62 with 56 overs still to bowl.
At that stage, Yorkshire were on top. The pair dug in initially before Stewart opened his shoulders.
His 58-ball fifty was almost twice as quick as his partner’s. Kent reached Tea at 312 for six, leading by 32 with 35 overs remaining in the game.
They all but doubled the lead in the first two overs of the evening, including Stewart hitting two sixes to take the lion’s share of 20 off a Jordan Thompson over.
More runs were to follow, with Stewart’s 91-ball innings featuring four sixes, all either slog swept or pulled.
He was run out clipping to mid on before Patterson trapped Matt Milnes LBW and had Nathan Gilchrist and Matt Quinn caught at mid off to raise home hopes of a first 24-point haul since the final game of 2018.
Stewart suffered a hamstring problem whilst bowling on Day Three and required Jordan Cox as a runner when he arrived at the crease.
Yorkshire’s bid for victory, meanwhile, was hampered by the loss of Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf, who was unable to bowl in the second innings with a side issue.
An overcast sky hung above Headingley for the majority of the day, with the floodlights turned on as early as the second over of the day. So it was no real surprise that bad light played its part.
Yorkshire’s first breakthrough came via Patterson, who removed opposing captain Jack Leaning – his former team-mate and close friend – for 36.
When Leaning under-edged behind attempting to leave alone in the day’s sixth over, the 56th of the innings, Kent were 126 for three with a deficit of 154.
George Hill then struck twice with his canny medium pacers before Patterson’s late intervention.
The match was deemed a draw just before 5.45pm, half an hour after bad light initially intervened.
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Kent wicketkeeper batter Ollie Robinson said: “It was a bit of frustration that, having wrestled the game back into our hands, we gave it away a little bit.
“It’s kind of been the story of our season so far and has put a bit of a sour note on it. But I guess you can’t be too disappointed to come away with 11 points after them scoring the best part of 600.
“It was just a case of digging deep (during the partnership with Grant Stewart). I haven’t had a great start to the year, so for me it was just about batting time and finding a way.
“I really benefitted from that and have come away with some confidence.
“It’s always fun to bat with someone like that, and Grant just did what Grant does.
“A soon as Grant starts to get a bit defendy and pokey at balls, he starts to get into a bit of trouble. The ways he plays is looking to be positive – almost fighting fire with fire.”
Day Three Report:
Opposition from Ben Compton and Jack Leaning saw Kent to 118/2 at Stumps to set up a potentially thrilling final day against Yorkshire at Headingley.
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Harry Brook fell narrowly short of a maiden career double century before lunch on Day Three.
Brook, the Division One’s second leading run-scorer behind unbeaten Kent opener Ben Compton, continued his super start to the summer by advancing from 131 overnight to 194 and taking his tally of runs to 512 in five innings this Summer.
Yorkshire were replying to 291. They started day three on 326 for five with a lead of 35 and were bowled out by mid-afternoon for a record 591 and with a lead of 280.
Later in the day, Kent impressively resisted to close on 118 for two from 50 overs, giving them plenty of hope they can avoid a third defeat in four games to start 2022.
So far, the visitors have not needed to face Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf in their second innings given he is having a minor niggle in his left side assessed by the Yorkshire medical team.
And in-form Compton will be at the crease on 67 having taken his season’s tally to 534.
Brook hit two sixes and 21 boundaries in his 265-ball innings, ended shortly before lunch when he gloved a pull at Nathan Gilchrist behind down leg.
It was a tired looking shot to end his marathon 398-minute stay at the crease, and he was the third Yorkshire player to fall caught behind down leg following Adam Lyth and Dawid Malan on day two.
Brook, who cut and square drove a lot of his runs, shared partnerships of 269 for the fourth wicket with Malan on day two and 151 with Dom Bess for the sixth during the third morning.
Bess was also proactive on the way to 89, though sunk to his knees in disappointment when he fell short of a maiden century for the county.
He was caught at slip following a loose drive at Jack Leaning’s off-spin as Yorkshire slipped to 496 for seven early in the afternoon – a lead of 205.
Young all-rounder Matthew Revis added a belligerent 53, including three sixes.
Revis was the last man out for Yorkshire, caught high at cover off the left-arm spin of South African George Linde, who claimed each of the last three home wickets to fall.
Brilliant sunshine was replaced by an overcast sky after Tea.
Kent lost their first wicket beforehand when Revis had Test opener Zak Crawley caught and bowled with a low full toss for five, the seamer hanging onto a sharp chance as the score fell to 18 for one in the 11th over.
First-innings centurion Daniel Bell-Drummond departed for only two after tea when he drove Steve Patterson low to cover (27 for two in the 18th).
Patterson had Compton dropped behind by Harry Duke on 46, while Leaning also offered a couple of sharp chances to George Hill and Thompson on the way to 31.
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Kent all-rounder George Linde said: “We’re pretty happy with what went on at the end. Jack and Compo, they did well with the bat. Hopefully, tomorrow, we can bat the day out. It is a pretty flat wicket.
“I’ve just come back from injury, so I’m still trying to find my feet. I haven’t done much bowling before this game, which is a bit frustrating. But I do understand what I’m coming back from.
“I’ve never had a groin injury before, and it’s a little bit sore.
“I was happy (with my performance). I didn’t mind going for runs, I was just happy I got some overs under my belt. Hopefully next game that will go better and I can get in better rhythm.”
Day Two Report:
Kent saw a similar situation to their Day One happen in reverse when Yorkshire recovered from three wickets down to end with a lead at Stumps on Day Two at Headingley.
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The visitors were 227 for four and started day two on 270 for six, only to fall to 291 all out as Haris Rauf completed a career best five for 65 with two of the four wickets to fall inside 30 minutes of play.
Either side of Lunch, Kent then impressively reduced Yorkshire’s reply to 23 for three inside 22 overs.
But Malan and unbeaten Brook – 152 and a career best 131 – ensured their side hit back once again, uniting with confidence for a record fourth-wicket partnership of 269 either side of Tea to ensure Yorkshire closed on 326 for five.
Play was halted for approximately 40 minutes from just before 14:20 due to a medical emergency in the ground’s North East Corner, though the spectator was thankfully responsive when stretchered away.
The thoughts of everyone at the Club remain with the spectator as we hope to hear good news.
On the back of two defeats in their opening three games and dealing with key injuries for Jackson Bird and Joe Denly, Kent have played some excellent cricket here – none more so than when bowling with the new cherry.
Stewart took the new ball from the Howard Stand End and bowled six successive maidens before being replaced by Gilchrist, who claimed two of the first three home wickets.
He had Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne (4) caught behind following a loose drive and George Hill LBW as he shouldered arms – 19 for two in the 19th over.
More reward was to follow with the first ball of the afternoon when Adam Lyth feathered Matt Milnes behind down the leg side (23 for three inside 22).
Kent bowled 15 maidens in those first 22 overs, but only bowled another three for the rest of the day – an indication of the proactive manner in which Malan and Brook played all around the wicket.
Malan and Brook reached their fifties before Tea despite a close call for a Matt Quinn LBW on Malan when the batter was on 36, with the left-hander the first to his century off 136 balls afterwards.
Brook, having hoisted George Linde’s left-arm spin for two sixes straight and over midwicket, was not far behind off 138. By that time, Yorkshire were 248 for three in the 68th.
Malan fell caught behind gloving a pull down leg the ball after pulling Matt Quinn for six to reach 150, secure a lead and bring upon the partnership record (292 for four).
Quinn, bowling with the new ball, later trapped Harry Duke LBW.
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Kent’s Matt Quinn said: “I thought we toiled away throughout the day. It was nice to get a few rewards at the back end. But you have to give it to Yorkshire, Malan and Brook batted very well.
“It’s definitely a new ball wicket. It was pretty similar, they were 20-3 and us 20-3.
“After the break we had, we didn’t get things quite right and let them get started and get their innings underway.
“When you come up against quality batters on a wicket like that, it’s going to be tough to stop them scoring.”
Day One Report:
A second century in as many matches for Daniel Bell-Drummond helped Kent recover from early strife to claim the opening day’s honours in their LV= Insurance County Championship fixture against Yorkshire at Headingley.
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This Division One clash features two counties dealing with injury issues, but it was the visitors who will be much the happier after being invited to bat and slipping to 20 for three following a blistering new ball spell from Haris Rauf.
They closed on 270 for six from 81 overs, of which Bell-Drummond scored 109. Fifteen overs were lost through two stoppages for bad light.
The 28-year-old shared a partnership of 133 for the fourth wicket either side of lunch with Jordan Cox (68) after Pakistan overseas quick Rauf’s early triple strike included England opener Zak Crawley LBW for four.
As well as Crawley, he also had Ben Compton (3) caught behind and Jack Leaning LBW stuck on the crease without scoring against his former side. He finished with three for 52 from 11 overs.
Current red-ball captain Leaning’s departure in his first appearance of the season following a hamstring injury left Kent 20 for three inside 10 overs. But then came the Bell-Drummond led revival.
Yorkshire delivered too many boundary balls under the floodlights. Bell-Drummond hit 17 fours in 194 balls.
Either side of being dropped on 50 – by Adam Lyth at second slip off Patterson – two balls into the afternoon, Bell-Drummond drove, cut, whipped and flicked with aplomb.
He reached his fifty off 73 balls late in the morning and his 13th first-class century off 172 just before tea.
By that time, his fourth-wicket partnership with Cox had been broken by the off-spin of Dom Bess, who trapped the latter LBW (153 for four).
Play was halted by bad light for almost an hour from 16:20 before play resumed and Bell-Drummond was ousted – caught at mid-on by Rauf off the seam of young all-rounder Matthew Revis as the score fell to 227 for five in the 72nd over.
Revis, awarded his second-team cap before play, broke a 74-run stand with Ollie Robinson, whose fifty came up shortly afterwards off 94 balls.
He was then trapped LBW by the frugal Patterson almost immediately before play was halted for a second time at 18:15 to end the day.
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Kent centurion Daniel Bell-Drummond said: “If you’d have asked us at 20 for three, we’re very happy with where we’re at.
“We’d have liked to have had myself and Ollie (Robinson) in with the second new ball coming at the end of the day. But it wasn’t to be.
“There’s a bit in the wicket if you bowl well. If you don’t, there’s runs to be scored.
“I think we’re pretty content, and the guys still to come to the crease can also bat.
“It’s extremely pleasing for myself. I feel in a good place, and I was able to capitalise on that. It’s very different conditions at Canterbury, but I took the confidence from that game (Hampshire) into this. It was a different kind of knock, but one I’m very happy with.”
