Kent beat Glamorgan by six wickets on the third day of their Specsavers County Championship match at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, with an unbeaten half-century by Heino Kuhn seeing the English county successfully chase a target of 195 runs after the Welsh county were dismissed for 274 in their second innings.
Kent beat Glamorgan by six wickets on the third day of their Specsavers County Championship match at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, with a half-century by Heino Kuhn seeing the English county successfully chase a target of 195 runs after the Welsh county were dismissed for 274 in their second innings.
Close of Play Report
Kent resumed after tea on 153/2 needing a further 42 runs to win as Michael Hogan and Andrew Salter undertook the bowling duties. Joe Denly nonchalantly on-drove Hogan for four before Kuhn square-drove the red-ball captain for four. But Salter ended Denly’s stay at the crease courtesy of a fine running catch by Tom Cullen at deep mid-wicket as the visiting captain lofted the spinner towards wide long-on with the substitute sprinting around to safely pouch the ball.
22 runs were needed as Zak Crawley joined Kuhn and swept Salter for four, before sprinting a series of quick singles with Kuhn who reverse-swept Salter for four. With two needed, de Lange removed Crawley l.b.w, but Darren Stevens came in and hit the winning runs as Kent reached their target shortly before 4.30pm.
Afternoon update
6th May 2018 could be a red-letter day (or should that be blue?) for sport in the Welsh capital as Cardiff City seek a victory over Reading to clinch promotion into the Premiership. The football team began life as a cricket club during the late nineteenth century and played their early games of football at Sophia Gardens, where the cricketing cognoscenti will also loyally gather today hoping that Glamorgancan produce some magic of their own and conjure up a victory to maintain their handy position in cricket’s very own promotion zone.
However, what may prove to be a decisive passage of play took place during the final half hour last night, as Kent took the new ball and claimed three wickets in fourteen balls to stifle Glamorgan’s spirited fightback which featured a second wicket stand of 126 between Shaun Marsh and Jack Murphy.
However, it was their final pair of Timm van der Gugten and Michael Hogan who were in the middle when play began at 12.40pm looking to eke out a few more runs. Van der Gugten had an early life as Zak Crawley at fourth slip dropped a sharp low chance but Hogan was not so fortunate next over as he edged Matt Henry to Sean Dickson at first slip, as Glamorgan were dismissed for 274 to leave Kent a target of 195.
Van der Gugten was swiftly back in action as he shared the new ball with Marchant de Lange. The latter was off-driven for three by Dickson whilst Bell-Drummond, after surviving an appeal for l.b.w., did the same to the Dutchman before punching him off the back foot through extra cover for four.
Dickson also unfurled a pair of straight drives against de Lange before Bell-Drummond clipped de Lange to backward square-leg for four. Hogan and David Lloyd then had a spell in tandem with Bell-Drummond on-driving Lloyd for another boundary whilst Dickson glanced him to fine-leg for four as Kent reached the fifty mark in the 15th over.
Bell-Drummond unleashed another rasping on-drive against Hogan before Dickson lofted Lloyd over long-on for six before clipping him to mid-wicket for a further four. Andrew Salter then entered the attack whilst van der Gugten returned at the River End and had an appeal for l.b.w. upheld against Bell -Drummond with Kent on 77/1.
Heino Kuhn made his way to the middle accompanied by the sound of fireworks from the Cardiff City Stadium celebrating their promotion. The South African was soon celebrating himself as he square-cut successive deliveries from van der Gugten for a pair of fours. After a series of singles, he then cover-drove Salter for four to bring up the hundred, but two runs later de Lange returned at the River End and trapped Dickson l.b.w.
Kuhn then edged de Lange between first and third slip before a pair of more conventional fours to fine-leg later in the over. Joe Denly also lofted Salter for six to deep mid-wicket before Kuhn drove de Lange just over the head of Salter in the gully. Shortly before tea, Kuhn also twice reverse-swept Salter for four to complete a 49-ball fifty.
Morning Report
After arriving as normal at 8a.m., the groundstaff discovered that an overnight leak in the underground drainage system had created a damp patch on the square, in a small area adjacent to the pitch.
With good drying conditions, plenty of time left in the game and hard work by the stadium’s groundstaff, the start of play was delayed as the small patch fully dried out.
After a second inspection at 12noon, the umpires agreed to take an early lunch so that play could commence at 12.40pm and only eight overs of play being lost.