Late Wickets Rescue Difficult Day Two

Report from day two of Hampshire's LV= County Championship match against Kent at The Ageas Bowl

Hampshire v Kent
LV= County Championship
Day Two: Saturday 28 July 2012
The Ageas Bowl

Summary: Kent trail Hampshire by one run
with five wicket(s) remaining in the first innings
Hampshire: 292
Kent: 291-5
Scorecard

Hampshire Team
Adams*, Vince, Shafayat, Katich, Dawson, Ervine, Bates†, Mascarenhas, Balcombe, Briggs, Tomlinson 
Kent Team
Key*, Northeast, Nash, Harmison, Powell, Stevens, Jones†, Tredwell, Coles, Davies, Shreck

It was almost like a limited overs match for the last hour; some incredible "death bowling" with the second new ball saw Hampshire rescue what had hitherto been a tough day in the field on day two of this LV= County Championship match against Kent at The Ageas Bowl.

The hosts took four wickets for the price of 18 runs in 40 balls - James Tomlinson 3-2 off 12 - to leave their visitors 291-5 going into day three with two new men due to take to the crease.

Earlier, an opening parternship of 252 between Sam Northeast (140) and Rob Key (119) had looked to take the match away from Jimmy Adams' side. That they still had a lead (albeit of only one run) by stumps was a tribute to their patience and hard work.

They'll know there's still plenty of work to do tomorrow morning if they're to keep this match in the balance but things do, at least, look a little rosier for Hampshire now than they had with little over an hour to go.

The hosts had started the day looking to get the eight runs required to take them to 300 and a third batting bonus point but that ambition didn't last long as Danny Briggs edged Mark Davies to second slip from the second ball of the day; Hants finishing on 292 all out.

And things would never really improve for them in the first two sessions as Key and Northeast would move through the early exchanges in relative comfort, playing defensively to the tricky Dimitri Mascarenhas (whose opening spell of seven overs went for just 11 runs) and taking the attack more to Tomlinson, bowling from the other end.

This continued when, having replaced the latter in the attack, David Balcombe's first over conceded the Kent 50 - a score both batsmen, individually, would have reached the brink of by lunch; their side 98-0. And in consecutive overs after the re-start, both men would, indeed, bring up their half-centuries with near identical fours through mid-wicket.

What followed was a promising, if fruitless, spell with several plays and misses - most notably at the bowling of Tomlinson. Meanwhile, Northeast got a thick edge to the bowling of Sean Ervine at one point - the ball squirting at chest height to fourth slip... if only Hampshire hadn't moved the man they had previously had stationed there.

Frustrated, the home side looked to change things up, giving Simon Katich his first Championship bowl of the summer and it was off his left-arm wrist spin that Key brought up the 150 for his team inside 50 overs.

Northeast took that as his signal to accelerate, nudging the same bowler into the off-side to bring up his ton and, two balls later, the Kent 200 in the 60th over. By tea the youngster was on 110*, his partner 91*; their side 214 (78 behind on first innings scores) and still without loss.

50 runs later, as all eyes were on Key on 99*, Ervine - incredibly - broke Northeast's defenses. A series of bouncers followed by a wider one, saw the 22-year-old fence at the latter, edging through to a diving Michael Bates behind.

And bouyed by the break-through Balcombe and Tomlinson, now in possesion of the second cherry, refused to let the new men settle, having Ben Harmison (8) caught at second slip, Brendan Nash (5) bowled off stump and Mike Powell (2) athletically caught behind to leave Kent 288-4.

That would have been impressive enough but the icing on the cake was surely to get Key out, and in the last over of the day, Tomlinson produced a delivery which he, himself, described as one of the best of his career. Jagging away, the former England International was powerless to do anything except edge to Bates.

With that, time was called leaving nightwatchman Davies (2*) stranded at the crease. The general concensus around the ground was that limiting Kent to under 350 on day three would really keep this game competitive.

Catch-Up:

Preview:	Dawson Looks to Build on 'Special Week' Against Kent
Day One:	Adams - Dawson Parternship Anchors Hampshire Innings

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Words: Simon Vincent
Images: NJM Photography

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