MATCH REPORT: Kent take early advantage on rain hit day at Blackpool
Today's match report presented by C&C Insurance Brokers
Kent enjoyed the better of the opening day of this Rothesay County Championship Division Two match at Blackpool with the visitors making 213-3 with only 57.4 overs possible due to rain.
A century partnership between Ben Compton and Tawanda Muyeye led a good effort with the bat by Kent after the visitors had been put in to bat with George Balderson taking two of the three wickets to fall.
Jadyn Denly and Compton began steadily, with Denly bringing up the fifty partnership off 87 balls with a six off Chris Green after one hour of play.
Denly had done the bulk of the scoring at that point with a well-made 34 but undid that good work when top edging a sweep off Chris Green that was well caught by a diving Mitch Stanley – making his first-class debut – running in from fine leg.
Having made that breakthrough Lancashire had the better of the second hour of the morning session with Balderson accounting for Daniel Bell-Drummomd when the Kent captain nicked a catch to Matty Hurst, standing up, for 13 to leave the visitors on 82-2 twenty minutes before lunch.
The interval turned out to a lengthy one of two hours, ten minutes and Kent dup Compton and Tawanda Muyeye returned with positive intent to up the scoring rate significantly.
Compton soon reached his half century from 100 balls while Muyeye caught the eye with a series of attacking shots.
Compton survived a scare on 56, edging Green but with the ball bouncing off wicketkeeper Hurst’s pads with Keaton Jennings at slip unable to grasp a difficult chance. The Kent opener cashed in by pulling a four and a six soon afterwards and progressing fairly untroubled through the session.
Meanwhile Muyeye went to his half century off 66 balls when hitting his seventh four with the shot also bringing up the century partnership from a fairly rapid 116 balls.
The Red Rose attack fought to restrict the scoring and that brought reward five minutes before tea when Muyeye attacked Balderson but skied a catch to Stanley at cover to be out for an attractive 63.
Rain returned two balls before the break with Compton unbeaten on 86 alongside Jack Leaning (4 not out).
“It was a tough day,” admitted George Balderson.
“The pitch was slower than we expected. We knew it was a little bit soft so we thought that would help with a bit of seam movement early doors. It turned out it just made it quite slow.
“That made it difficult to get any edges to carry.
“We toiled hard, didn’t get it quite right straight after the lunch break but once we got our tactics right and got men in front of the bat it slowed the scoreboard down and we had a bit more success.
“I don’t think it will particularly get much quicker over the next few days. It’s just going to be hard work with the Kookaburra ball. It probably doesn’t help, it goes soft quickly especially when the outfield’s a little bit wet.
“So we’ve got work hard and control the scoreboard and get opportunities that way.
“They played nicely. We bowled a few poor balls and they hit a few good ones for four.
“It’s a long game four day cricket. You get the chance to come back if you get things wrong in a certain spell and we did that towards the end of the day.”
Ken Grime
Photos: Luke Adams & Dan Adams
