Tredwell and Hockley bat Kent into pole position at St Lawrence

Kent v Yorkshire LV= County Championship Division 1, Day 3
By Mark Pennell
James Hockley and James Tredwell both hit half-centuries to bat Kent into a commanding position at stumps on Friday as the county reached 327 for seven against Yorkshire – an overall lead of 361against leaders Yorkshire.
Fortunes continued to fluctuate throughout the day, but an excellent stand of 113 in 29 overs between the seventh-wicket pair nigh-on batted the visitors out of the game.
The pair came together with the game nicely balanced with Kent on 207, but quietly batted their side into pole position. Tredwell hitting an unbeaten 65 from 107 balls, while Hockley posted a career best 82 in a shade over three hours.
He sadly missed out on a maiden championship hundred when he edged an attempted leg-side glance to keeper Jonathan Bairstow off Adil Rashid to make it 320 for seven.
Kent had made a sticky start to their second innings losing opener Joe Denly as early as the third over for only two. Driving hard outside off, he feathered one low to the right of wicketkeeper Jonathan Bairstow to make it four for one.
Then, nine overs later, Rob Key (9) followed him back to the pavilion leg-before to Hannon-Dalby. On the walk and working to leg, the Kent skipper looked surprised when umpire Nick Cook raised the finger to send him packing.
Martin van Jaarsveld and Geraint Jones steadied the ship through to lunch, the latter scoring an unbeaten half-century from 69 balls with eight fours. He reached the landmark by dancing down the pitch to loft a delivery from Adil Rashid over long on for four.
The fun ended eight balls after lunch when Jones, without adding to his 53, missed a reverse sweep against David Wainwright to go lbw. One run later, Sam Northeast was squared up by a good ball from Tim Bresnan to also fall leg before.
Wainwright was in the action again soon after when Darren Stevens. In looking to slog-sweep a full-length ball from the left-arm spinner, was well held at short mid-wicket by Rashid.
Only 22 short of a deserved century, Martin van Jaarsveld appeared surprised to be given leg-before when working to leg to Rashid“s seventh ball of the day bringing together Hockley and Tredwell for their vital stand that ended three overs from the close.
At the start of the day, Kent made their first breakthrough in the fourth over of the morning when Ajmal Shahzad went leg before to Amjad Khan for 14, only two more than his overnight score.
Three deliveries later Azhar Mahmood polished the job off by trapping last man Oliver Hannon-Dalby lbw without scoring to finish with four 58. Khan gave invaluable support with three for 60.
This fascinating game concludes on Saturday.