Northants match ends in stalemate

Kent v Northamptonshire LV Championship, Canterbury day four.
Northamptonshire 348-7 declared after 135 overs (and 355 all out after 128.2 overs) drew with Kent (417 all out after 107.4 overs) by 178 runs . Kent 11pts, Northamptonshire 10pts.
By Mark Pennell
KENT“S hopes of pushing for a last day win over Northamptonshire evaporated at sunny St Lawrence today as the visitors inspired by their dogged left-hander Nicky Boje lost only five wickets in batting through the final day.
Home skipper Rob Key, already without three of his first choice bowlers, was hampered further when Azhar Mahmood pulled up during the pre-game warm ups with a stomach strain and was unable to take the field.
That heaped pressure on experienced new ball pairing Martin Saggers and on-loan Steffan Jones as well as debutant rookie Phil Edwards, on his first championship appearance.
As a result, Northamptonshire“s batsmen had little or no problem surviving the two-hour session on a pitch that appears as good for batting today as it did on Tuesday.
Kent“s first success of the morning came after nine overs, the 56th of the innings when Saggers, from the Pavilion End, moved one away from night watchman David Lucas to find a fine edge through to keeper Geraint Jones.
Opener Stephen Peters moved to his century in almost five hours with a clipped four off his legs against Phil Edwards, it was his 12th boundary, but soon after the right-hander advanced down the pitch aiming a lofted drive against James Tredwell only to clip an overhead catch to Rob Key stationed at short mid-wicket.
Having survived a confident appeal for a bat-pad catch when on one, Boje batted on after lunch to score his half-century in three hours as Northamptonshire added only 64 runs in a turgid second session.
Kent enjoyed further success when Tredwell had Riki Wessels (8) held at slip after he lunged at and edged an arm ball, then soon after Martin Saggers clean bowled his former team-mate Andrew Hall for three.
Then after tea Rob Key, on for an unprecedented nine-over spell claimed his maiden first class wicket when David Willey chopped on for 47.
Soon after the teams shook hands on the draw with Boje unbeaten on 70 after a further 250 minutes at the crease.

Photo Courtesy of Getty Images