Nash denies Lancs with hundred
Saturday 27th April 2013
A century from Brendan Nash ensured Kent secured a draw on the final day of their LV= County Championship Division Two match with Lancashire at Old Trafford.
Leading by 151 at the end of the first innings, Lancashire smelt blood as they had Kent 36 for two in their second innings with 62 overs left in the game and with James Anderson regularly beating the bat.
But Mike Powell and former West Indies batsman Nash, who finished on 100, steadied the ship with an unbeaten 142-run partnership to give Kent, who have not won at Old Trafford in the Championship since 1997, a draw.
The visitors finished on 178 for two as the players shook hands immediately after Nash completed his century.
A hectic first over of the day saw Lancashire's Steven Croft reach his half-century off the second ball while Simon Katich missed out on a century. The former Australia opener was dismissed without adding to his overnight 93 following the first delivery he faced and Gareth Cross followed for a duck next ball.
Matt Coles claimed the wickets as a short ball was top-edged by Katich and Geraint Jones took a good catch behind the stumps, then a fuller delivery trapped Cross lbw.
Lancashire skipper Glen Chapple fended off the hat-trick delivery and he and Croft – who made an unbeaten 64 – upped the run rate in a bid to give the Red Rose a big enough lead to put pressure on the Kent batsmen.
In the end they declared on 395 for seven during a rain break, giving them a minimum of 79 overs to try and force what would have been their first win of the season.
Kyle Hogg and Anderson caused Kent openers Robert Key and Sam Northeast plenty of problems with the new ball, with England bowler Anderson increasingly unlucky not to make the breakthrough. He conceded just one run off his first spell of six overs.
But it was England Lions spinner Simon Kerrigan who struck first as he bowled Northeast for 11 in the 17th over.
Key followed shortly after as he edged a Chapple delivery to wicketkeeper Cross on 19, although he looked far from happy with the decision.
Nash, however, continued the good form which has now seen him score three half-centuries and one century in his four innings this season to leave Lancashire with eight points from the game and Kent five.