County Championship: Ryan Rickelton scores century for Northants against Kent

Ryan Rickelton made his Test debut for South Africa in March

An unbeaten 101 from Northamptonshire's Ryan Rickelton means a tense final day could be in store in the County Championship match with Kent at Canterbury.

The visitors lead Kent by 252 runs, having reached 284-5 at stumps.

On a see-sawing day at the St Lawrence Ground, Kent were all out for 335, adding just 48 to their overnight score for a modest lead of 32.

Jack White took 4-62 and Ben Sanderson 4-63, while Jordan Cox top-scored with 72.

The hosts then reduced Northamptonshire to 64-3, but a stand of 158 between Rickelton and James Neesham batted them out of immediate danger.

Neesham's 91 came from just 100 balls and having started day three as underdogs, Northamptonshire now look a strong bet for at least a draw against their Division One relegation rivals.

The hosts had ended day two eyeing a substantial lead after closing on 287-5, but Northamptonshire mopped up their final five wickets in little over an hour.

Cox was the first man to go, having added just nine to his overnight score of 63 when he left a straight one to White and was bowled.

George Linde then edged a Sanderson delivery through the slips for the four that put Kent into the lead, but it was his only scoring shot as he nicked the same bowler behind in his next over.

Grant Stewart went for seven, hooking Sanderson to White at fine leg, and when Sam Billings edged White to Ricardo Vasconcelos at first slip for 44, he repeatedly jabbed his bat into the ground in frustration.

Showing little faith in number 11 Matt Quinn, Matt Milnes then holed out to Sanderson and was caught by Josh Cobb for four.

Northamptonshire slashed Kent's lead to five by the lunch interval, but they lost Emilio Gay shortly afterwards, when he got a leading edge to Stewart and was caught by Ben Compton.

Stewart then snared Vasconcelos, who was the victim of a tumbling catch by Billings for 19, and with Luke Procter suffering from a foot injury, Rob Keogh was the next man in.

When he was given out caught behind for 13 trying to hook Daniel Bell-Drummond, Northamptonshire were in deep trouble, but Rickelton and Neesham turned the game with a stand that lasted over two hours.

While Rickelton paced himself, Neesham thrashed his way past 50 before eventually getting caught and bowled by Joe Denly nine runs short of a debut hundred.

Cobb then came in for a quickfire innings of 26, which ended when Zak Crawley held a sharp slip catch off Linde, before Rickelton reached three figures just before the close with a straight drive off Stewart for two.

While all results remain possible, the visitors will be far happier at the end of day three than they were at the start of it.

Report supplied by the ECB Reporters' Network.