MATCH REPORT: Match drawn in Canterbury as rain halts play
Despite some spasmodic pyrotechnics on the final day, the Rothesay County Championship match between Kent and Lancashire ended in a draw, with the weather ruining what might have been a thrilling run chase.
Ekansh Singh hit 60, his highest first-class score, as Kent posted 293* aided by a hugely entertaining cameo from Matt Quinn, whose 42 was his best score for Kent.
Mitch Stanley also had a career day, taking six for 100 to finish with match figures of 11 for 180.
Lancashire needed 303 to win and were 138 for three when rain forced the players off, just after Marcus Harris had reached 50. Quinn took 2 for 21, but then limped off with an injury.
28 overs were lost due to rain but when play finally began both sides immediately went on the attack.
Ekansh hit the second ball of the day from Tom Hartley for six, but Mo Rizvi was lbw to Stanley’s first delivery from the Nackington Road End, getting a pair on his first-class debut.
When Stanley then bowled Matt Parkinson for a second-ball duck, in the same over, the lead was only 221, but Quinn joined Ekansh for a partnership worth 71 that steered Kent out of danger.
He blazed 22 off Stanley’s next over (including four byes) and left Stanley kicking his crease in frustration.
He even improvised a ramp shot off a full toss that somehow ended up at point and by lunch Kent were on for 276 for seven.
The final three dismissals were all caught behind. Stanley finally got Quinn, George Balderson got Ekansh, also caught behind, after a bouncer caught his raised bat. Ben Compton, playing despite a wrist injury, came in at 11 but only faced one ball before Michael Cohen was out to Stanley for four.
This pattern continued in the Lancs’ reply when Keaton Jennings edged Quinn to Harry Finch for four and Wells then went to the same combination for 19, but Josh Bohannon and Harris took the heat out of the situation for the visitors with a partnership of 91.
Harris reached 1000 runs for the season when he reached 23 and it was 73 for two at tea, but Quinn then pulled up injured during a run-up, stumbling at the crease and walking straight off, to be replaced by Rizvi.
His first over went for 15 and he was immediately replaced by Evison, whose third ball bowled Bohannon’s off stump for 46. At 16.34 however, the rain returned and this time there was no chance of a resumption.