By Ralph Dellor at Canterbury
First day of four: Worcs 281-6 v Kent
EVERYTHING looked set for a memorable day's cricket at the St Lawrence Ground. An excellent crowd, warm sunshine tempered by a light breeze and a pitch that can have left Tom Moody in no doubt about what to do on winning the toss. Yet the cricketing fare failed to satisfy the appetite whetted by such favourable conditions.
The Kent fielding was of a high order and the bowling steady, but a return of only 187 runs from the bat in the first 81 overs was some way below par.
It could have been different if the Worcestershire captain had stayed longer at the crease.
Moody arrived when the over-adventurous Elliot Wilson perished from a top-edged pull to short leg, and appeared in commanding form from the outset. He greeted Matthew Fleming's arrival in the attack with a volley of strokes that saw the early withdrawal of the England bowler.
However, Fleming's superb pick-up and throw at no more than 1.5 stumps from the covers cut short Moody in his prime and simultaneously removed much of the potential entertainment.
Philip Weston laboured for three-and-a-quarter hours for his fifty, despite hitting eight fours in that time, before falling to an outstanding diving catch at mid-off by Ed Smith from a crisp off drive that never rose far off the ground.
David Leatherdale was another victim of high-class Kent fielding when wicketkeeper Steve Marsh took off to his right to cling on to a chance that would not have carried to slip.
Such highlights helped to maintain the interest until a flurry of runs from Steve Rhodes and Stuart Lampitt enlivened the end of the day.
Day 2: Hooper puts Worcester to sword
By Ralph Dellor at Canterbury
Second day of four: Kent (323-7) trail Worcestershire (360) by 37 runs
CARL Hooper was on and off the field during the first day with a stomach complaint. He did not appear in prime condition yesterday in the field either and, when the second Kent wicket fell, he ambled to the crease with all the enthusiasm of a man keeping a painful appointment with the dentist.
However, from the moment he took guard to the moment he reached his century, it was only the Worcestershire bowlers and fielders who suffered excruciating pain.
The Worcestershire attack might not be the most intimidating in the championship, but it was rendered totally impotent. The statistics of Hooper's innings are impressive enough. He equalled the fastest century of the season, taking a mere 72 balls, including 15 fours, and reached the landmark with his third six. The second fifty came from 28 balls with eight fours and two sixes. He slowed down a little after that, finishing with 154 from 157 balls.
Yet simply to churn out figures does no justice to the way Hooper gathered his runs in an innings of majesty and savage elegance. It contained imperious drives in an arc from cover to midwicket, thunderous pulls, deft cuts and glances and, just occasionally, solid defence. When he finally departed to a top-edged sweep, he received a standing ovation from the crowd and relieved applause from his opponents.
Earlier Steve Rhodes and Richard Illingworth ensured that Worcestershire reached a highly respectable total. Min Patel stuck manfully to his task, and was rewarded with four wickets and an admirable economy rate.
In the Kent innings, Matthew Fleming and Steve Marsh provided valuable runs to support Hooper, while two of the wickets to fall were to catches by Bill Athey, the Worcestershire coach, making brief appearances as a substitute.
Day 3:Moody stops rot as Worcester rally
By Ralph Dellor at Canterbury
Third day of four: Worcs (360 & 300-6) lead Kent (344) by 316 runs
IT WAS back in 1914, in the days of Frank Woolley and Colin Blythe, that Worcestershire were last beaten at the St Lawrence ground. This is only their 10th visit since the Great War, but when they were 51 for four in the second innings - with a lead of only 67 - it appeared that this proud record might be vulnerable.
The last three Kent wickets had fallen in 7.1 overs to give Worcestershire a slender first-innings lead of 16. However, with Elliott Wilson going early again, hopes of extending that advantage substantially looked shaky as Dean Headley struck twice in two balls. Abdul Hafeez was caught in the gully by a diving Robert Key and Vikram Solanki was palpably leg before. In 1996 Headley took a hat-trick against his former county colleagues, with Solanki featuring then. This time Tom Moody averted the hat-trick, having started the rot two years ago.
Moody showed few signs of the sore shoulder which necessitated his descent down the order, but he lost Philip Weston as a partner in the first over after lunch. This brought in David Leatherdale to provide Moody with the support he needed to reach his fifty and resurrect the innings.
Min Patel was getting appreciable turn and he produced a model delivery with flight and turn to have Moody stumped. Steve Rhodes joined Leatherdale in a sixth-wicket partnership which produced 152 priceless runs to set Kent what is already a challenging total on an increasingly difficult pitch.
Day 4: Fitting finale to Hooper flourish
By Rob Steen at Canterbury
Kent (344 & 270-9) drew with Worcestershire (360 & 333-8 dec)
ASK someone about the joys - or otherwise - of playing alongside Carl Hooper and the response is likely to flit from hushed awe through bafflement to helpless shrug.
Rely on him, yes; depend on him, never. As Kent struggled to extend proceedings beyond tea here yesterday, there was scant reason to take issue with such a pragmatic philosophy. Prowling to the crease shortly before lunch, with Kent - needing 350 in a minimum of 86 overs to retain a slender mathematical interest in the championship - having stumbled to 30 for two on a pitch of quixotic bounce, Hooper made his intentions clear from the off.
Fresh from matching Ali Brown's mark for the season's fastest hundred in the first innings, he sauntered down the track to Richard Illingworth and narrowly failed to pierce the covers, then languidly lofted his third ball over mid-off. Tom Moody then grabbed the gauntlet and a riveting duel ensued. Hooper became the first Kent player to reach 1,000 runs this season before Moody, defying a shoulder strain, made one rear from just short of a length to strike him a jarring blow on the top hand. Declining any outward show of pain, Hooper retorted by advancing to the next ball; Moody pinged in a bouncer and grins were exchanged, the respect patently mutual.
Hooper continued to toy with the lesser mortals, easing boundaries to all parts, but the desire to out-manoeuvre Moody remained uppermost. Advancing once more, he carved square, only to see David Leatherdale bring off a breath-taking catch at cover point.