County Championship: Kent's lower-order resistance frustrates Surrey

Joey Evison top-scored with 77 not out for Kent, who claimed only their third batting bonus point of the season

Joey Evison and Michael Hogan put on a spirited last-wicket stand of 82 in 14 overs to help Kent recover to 278 all out after they had looked in danger of being swept aside by champions Surrey.

Hogan then had Rory Burns lbw for 14 as Surrey replied positively with 88-1 off 21 overs before stumps, with Dom Sibley and Ollie Pope unbeaten on 35 and 20 respectively.

Evison, the 21-year-old all-rounder signed from Nottinghamshire last summer with the unenviable task of replacing Kent great Darren Stevens, hit two sixes and nine fours in an eye-catching 77 not out from 106 balls.

But perhaps it was veteran Australian seamer Hogan, who turns 42 at the end of May, that most shocked Surrey's five-pronged pace attack with nine fours of his own in a 48-ball knock of 43.

In 258 previous first-class innings, and in his 191st appearance, Hogan has passed fifty on just four occasions, with a top score of 57.

But, appearing at 196-9 after Wes Agar (31) had previously helped Evison to rally Kent from a perilous 118-7, former Glamorgan stalwart Hogan matched his young partner stroke for stroke to provide unexpected late resistance and even force the tea interval to be delayed by 30 minutes.

A good-sized Oval crowd gave Evison and Hogan a generous hand as the players walked off after a remarkable 41-over afternoon session featuring 173 runs and five wickets, but the last pair's fun ended with the third legitimate ball after tea when Hogan edged Tom Lawes to wicketkeeper Ben Foakes.

Lawes, who took 3-41, had come into the Division One leaders' team as a pace bowling replacement for Kemar Roach, who was released from the scheduled final game of his third stint as a Surrey overseas player to attend to a family matter at home in Barbados.

Hogan and Evison certainly put a dent in both Dan Worrall and Jordan Clark's figures, with Kent's number 11 hitting some memorable drives and the impressive Evison lifting Worrall twice for leg-side sixes.

Kent's England opener Zak Crawley was out for 19 as the visitors slipped to 118-7

Clark finished with 3-61 and Worrall 3-68.

Evison had earlier taken three fours in four balls off Australian seamer Sean Abbott, while Agar's 31 was also a major factor in Kent's recovery as conditions eased and the ball grew softer.

Surrey, though, will be annoyed they allowed Kent to reach a competitive first-innings score - winning only their third batting bonus point of the season in the process - after Worrall, Clark, Lawes and Gus Atkinson had looked like carrying all before them in the first 41 overs of the day.

Worrall, switching to around the wicket, made the initial breakthrough by swinging one enough to clip the top of Ben Compton's off stump when the left-hander, Kent's leading run-scorer so far this summer, shouldered arms to go for four.

Zak Crawley got to 19 before being surprised by Clark's bounce and edging to third slip, where Will Jacks took a sharp chest-high catch falling to his left, and Tawanda Muyeye had also started well and reached 22 when Atkinson found a thin edge through to Foakes with his sixth ball.

Kent were soon 80-4, skipper Sam Billings driving loosely at Lawes to depart for a nine-ball duck, and they were in deep trouble when Jack Leaning's 28 ended two balls after lunch - Jacks again catching well at third slip.

Clark soon claimed his third wicket when Jordan Cox was bowled through the gate for 18, and Worrall's post-lunch spell brought him Grant Stewart's scalp, lbw for nine.

Then, however, with growing assurance, Evison and Agar added 74 in 16 overs to frustrate Surrey and change the narrative of the day.

Agar eventually chopped on against Lawes and debutant Arafat Bhuiyan made only two before edging Worrall to first slip to set up the Evison-Hogan partnership.

Report supplied by ECB Reporters' Network.