CricInfo Home
News Home

NEWS FOCUS
Rsa in Pak
NZ in India
Zim in Aus

Domestic
Other Series

Kent restore order

Kent (312-7) bt Cheshire (204-9) by 108 runs

To the sound of birdsong on this lovely, tree-ringed ground, Kent lost the top half of their order for only 62 on a slow, seaming pitch to an array of poor shots and good catching.

But the birds and the bowling were put to flight in a stand between their captain, Matthew Fleming, and Nigel Llong of 226 in 31 overs a sixth-wicket record for the competition, in its various guises.

Fleming was particularly pugnacious, scoring the second 50 of his first hundred runs from only 13 deliveries - comprising four sixes, five fours, two twos and a couple of singles.

Llong, the left-hander, was no slouch either, completing his century from only 90 deliveries, and both men registered their best efforts in the knockout contest to save Kent from going the same way against these opponents as Northamptonshire eight years ago - the last time a minor county beat first-class opposition in a proper match.

After Kent were put in, Ed Smith fell to a smart catch in the gully, Trevor Ward was caught one-handed down the leg side and Matthew Walker had his off pole stump flattened, driving over a full ball.

Mark Ealham and Andrew Symonds started to play a few shots, but Ealham was held at slip and when Symonds was brilliantly taken in the gully, tall medium-pacer Chris Finegan, of Bootle, had three for 34 from 10 overs off the reel.

Dean Headley wrecked the reply with three for 16 in his seven-over opening burst and despite 25-year-old Richard Hignett - batting in the dirtiest boots imaginable - making a cultured half-century from 71 deliveries, the chance of an upset had flown.