Kent vs Hampshire LVCC Day 1 30th July

(ECB Match Report 27th July) 

An excellent second-wicket partnership of 181 runs in 50 overs between Hampshire duo Michael Carberry and Michael Lumb helped their side to 312 for five against Kent at Canterbury.

Placed second from bottom of the first division table with just one win in Division One of the LV County Championship this season, Hampshire began the day poorly after deciding to make first use of a fine batting pitch.

They lost Michael Brown for six in only the third over when he shuffled across his stumps to a ball from Yasir Arafat which kept low then in his next over Arafat uprooted Sean Ervine's middle stump with a ball of full length before the batsman had scored and the visitors were 20 for two.

Thereafter, Carberry and Lumb took control of the play for nearly two sessions. They played fluent shots all around the wicket in racking up the county’s second-best partnership of the season.

Lumb showed a range of strokes from the start of his innings when his first two scoring shots were boundaries off Arafat, the pair bringing up the 50 partnership by scoring at in excess of five runs an over.

The rapid bowling changes made little impression on either batsman although the rate of scoring dropped with the 100 coming in the 26th over. By lunch they had taken the score to 107 for two in 29 overs.

Both batsmen brought up their half-centuries in the same over bowled by Arafat. Lumb ran two to cover for his 50 from 96 balls while Carberry hit a four to cover, having faced 111 balls.

Carberry was fortunate to have been dropped on 56, off Arafat, when his pull shot went to Robbie Joseph at square leg. Having got both hands to the ball the fielder failed to hold the catch.

The batsman celebrated the drop by going down the pitch to drive James Tredwell to the extra cover boundary and later lifted him for a straight six to get his score to 88 in an over which cost 15 runs.

Kent then struck twice in successive overs from Ryan McLaren. The South African first had Lumb, who on 73 from 156 balls slashed into the hands of first slip and then Carberry, on 92 from 179 balls, edged his drive behind the stumps. He had hit 11 boundaries and Lumb had one left.

Chris Benham steadily picked up 49 runs during the last period before Arafat returned for his second spell of the session and had him caught behind in his third over, reducing Hampshire to 283 for five.

By close of play Nic Pothas was unbeaten on a patient 47 from 106 balls faced. Arafat was the pick of the bowlers with 3-59 and McLaren had 2-34.

Provide Feedback