County Championship: Rob Yates hits double century as Bears grind Kent down

Bears opener Rob Yates' career-best double century was the first time he had reached three figures away from Edgbaston

Rob Yates hit a double century to put Warwickshire in a commanding position after day two of their County Championship Division One game with Kent at Canterbury.

Yates batted for nearly nine hours to hit his highest first-class score of 228 not out as the visitors declared on 549-7, a lead of 378, before reducing Kent to 55-1 at stumps.

Australia's Glenn Maxwell made 81 on his Bears first-class debut in his first Championship appearance for four years and Henry Brookes was unbeaten on 52 as the visitors dominated

Chris Rushworth bowled Tawanda Muyeye early in Kent's second innings and, although Ben Compton and Joe Denly survived until the close, the hosts are still 323 behind with two days remaining.

Resuming on 155-2, the Bears had nudged into a three-run lead when Sam Hain edged Arshdeep Singh and fell to a diving catch by Jordan Cox for 32.

Kent then took two wickets in five balls. when Jacob Bethell was out for 31, caught by a back-pedalling Arshdeep at deep mid on for 31 and Ed Barnard went for a four-ball duck. But Yates and Maxwell then put on a stand of 124.

Yates reached his first century away from Edgbaston when he cut Arshdeep to third man and Maxwell looked set for a hundred, only to be caught behind chasing a wide delivery from Matt Quinn.

Yates cruised past his previous highest score of 141 with a straight-driven four off Grant Stewart, but Michael Burgess went for 42, caught off Quinn by Harry Finch at backward point.

Yates survived a major scare when he was on 199, chipping a ball from Qadri just out of reach of three fielders, before he drove the next ball through the covers to pass 200.

The declaration came as soon as Brookes had creamed Leaning for six to reach his half-century, leaving Kent with 14 overs to survive under increasingly ashen skies.

Muyeye lasted just five balls before Rushworth sent his off stump flying and although Denly and Compton made it to the close on 29 and 17 respectively, Kent will need something approaching a miracle over the next two days to avoid a damaging defeat.

Report supplied by ECB Reporters' Network.