Stevens makes gains on Day Three
Veteran medium-pacer Darren Stevens put on a swing-bowling masterclass at the Kia Oval to help Kent take command of their Specsavers County Championship clash with Surrey on Day Three.
The 43-year-old all-rounder – who is closing in on his 300th first-class appearance – bagged season’s best figures of 4/46 to reduce the hosts to 179/6 in their second innings when bad light stopped play with Surrey only 81 runs ahead overall.
Responding to Kent’s 369 all out, Surrey had wiped out the 98-run first-innings deficit and had edged into a nine-run lead for the loss of only one wicket before Stevens and Matt Milnes combined to turn the home innings on its head.
Surrey’s sole casualty of the mid-session, Mark Stoneman, gifted Stevens his first scalp with an injudicious back-foot force that took the edge through to Kent’s tidy young gloveman Ollie Robinson.
Dean Elgar, who boasts 56 Test caps for South Africa, and Surrey captain Rory Burns came together to post 83 for the second wicket, but it was never plain sailing. Elgar took a fierce blow on the gloves from a Grant Stewart lifter, while Burns rarely looked at his fluent best, yet the Surrey pair reached 90/1 at tea.
A change of ball after one delivery of the evening session seemingly gave Kent’s attack an unexpected boost, allowing Matt Milnes to take two wickets in as many deliveries after switching to the Vauxhall End.
With Surrey’s noses barely ahead, Milnes, had Burns caught-behind off the gloves from a slippery bouncer, then Scott Borthwick, feeling just outside off stump, was caught behind for a golden duck.
Elgar posted his second half-century of the game from 106 balls and with eight fours but, with Surrey’s lead on 26, Stevens struck to remove Ben Foakes for seven. Pushing defensively at an away-swinger, Foakes feathered a fourth catch of the innings to Robinson.
The floodlights were turned on soon after 17:00 but batting got no easier. Sam Curran survived a couple of caught-behind shouts against Stevens, who then swung one back in to snare Elgar leg-before after a three hour stay for 65.
In his next over, Stevens nipped one back off the seam to trap Jamie Smith LBW before taking a well-earned rest.
He was replaced at The Pavilion End by Harry Podmore, who had a huge leg-before appeal against Rikki Clarke turned down before the umpires took the sides off for bad light.
At the start of the day Kent, resuming on their second-day score of 284 for four and a narrow lead of 14 runs, Kent proceeded to lose their last six wickets inside 25 overs as Curran and Clarke made the most of early, overcast conditions.
Kent’s interim skipper Heino Kuhn added four to his overnight score when he chased Curran’s wider, slower ball to miscue a simple catch to Mark Stoneman at extra cover.
In his next over, Curran had Grant Stewart well held, shoulder-high at slip by Clarke, for a second-ball duck when aiming an ambitious back-foot force.
Stevens and Robinson posted a half-century stand in 12 overs to take Kent to their fourth batting bonus point but Robinson worked across a straight one from Clarke to be given LBW.
Stevens attempted counter-attack soon backfired when his leg-side clip off Elgar was well held at mid-wicket by a diving Stoneman, then, two balls later, Rayner was bowled through the gate by a beauty from Clarke.
Podmore followed suit, losing his off pole to a Clarke leg-cutter as Kent, despite losing their last six wickets for 85 runs in the space of 105 minutes, banked a crucial first-innings.
Clarke and Curran, with three wickets apiece, were Surrey’s outstanding performers with the ball.
Credit: ECB Reporters’ Network
England Lions will face a touring Australian Test warm-up side at The Spitfire Ground, St. Lawrence from this Sunday, as the visitors gear up for the 2019 Specsavers Ashes Series against England.
Kent’s Zak Crawley has been selected as part of the Lions squad for this fixture at his home ground.
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