County Championship: Kent v Surrey ends in draw after rain

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Ben ComptonImage source, Rex Features
Image caption,

Kent opener Ben Compton found time to reach his sixth half-century of the season

LV= County Championship Division One, County Ground, Beckenham (day four)

Surrey 671-9 dec: Pope 96, Overton 93, Foakes 91; Gilchrist 3-121

Kent 230 & 114-1 (f/o): Compton 63*

Kent (10 pts) drew with Surrey (16 pts)

Division One leaders Surrey drew their County Championship match with Kent after rain ruined the final day at Beckenham.

Just 9.2 overs were possible, with Kent moving from their overnight score of 82-1 to 114-1 during two mini sessions, still 327 runs behind Surrey's first innings score of 671-9.

Surrey had been favourites after forcing the hosts to follow on on day three, but conditions deteriorated throughout the day and play was abandoned at 15:48 BST, Kent taking 10 points and Surrey 16.

Ben Compton was unbeaten on 63, while nightwatchman Matt Milnes was 16 not out at stumps.

Day four began with a minute's silence in memory of Andrew Symonds, who played for Kent between 1999 and 2004.

A break in the weather meant play started on time and the hosts resumed on 82-1, still 359 behind.

Conditions were overcast and the ball swung almost immediately but Compton reached 50 in the first over when he pulled Daniel Worrall for a single.

Light rain began to fall and the players went off after 29 minutes, Kent having moved to 108 without further loss.

Lunch was taken early and, although play resumed at 13:35, by then it was already raining again.

After nine increasingly-moist minutes - during which Kent advanced to 114 - the players came off again, Compton having added six to his score.

After two further hours of waiting and with no prospect of improvement, the game was abandoned as a draw.

The result lifts Kent off the bottom of the table ahead of Gloucestershire.

Report supplied by the ECB Reporters' Network.

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