Rain reigns at Canterbury

(ECB Match Report)
 
Kent's LV County Championship Division One match against Hampshire at Canterbury petered out into a tame draw with rain causing a loss of a little over three hours' play - which amounted to 49 overs - on the final day.

When the captains agreed to bring an end to the match with no result possible, Hampshire were 311 for seven in their second innings - with Nic Pothas unbeaten on 105, his first championship century this season.

The wicketkeeper had faced 219 balls, hitting 10 fours and a six in an innings which lasted four and a quarter hours.

His 100 came half an hour after play resumed at 4.10pm when he pulled Neil Dexter for four to backwards square leg.

But the finest shot of his innings was the perfectly executed drive to extra cover off Joe Denly which took him to 95.

By then he had been playing his strokes freely, using his feet to the spinners particularly against James Tredwell whom he came down the pitch to drive for four twice in one over.

Resuming on the overnight score of 185 for six, Hampshire batted for just over an hour before rain stopped play.

During those 65 minutes Pothas, who was unbeaten on 52 overnight, and Chris Tremlett (17 not out), added 80 runs on a pitch which showed no signs of wear even on the last day.

Neither the pace nor the spin bowlers were able to cause much concern to either batsman as Pothas showed by striking two boundaries off Yasir Arafat in the second over of the day.

Kent captain Robert Key soon brought his spinners on and Tremlett, who had been picking up runs steadily off the pace bowlers, drove Martin van Jaarsveld to the cover boundary, taking his score to 43.

While Pothas had gradually taken his score to 82, mainly running singles and twos, Tremlett brought up his second half-century in the Championship this season - from 121 balls - in great style, lifting off-spinner Tredwell for a six which sailed high above the stands at mid-off. He then hit the next ball again for six over extra cover.

Van Jaarsveld finally ended Tremlett's innings over 142 minutes having him held from a firmly-hit pull shot at short midwicket - where Ryan McLaren took the catch.

Rain stopped play for three hours and four minutes at the fall of that wicket and although David Balcombe had come to the crease, he had not faced a ball while Pothas was on 82 at that stage.

Scorecard

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