Kent maintain survival hopes with Hampshire draw
Jack Leaning's 100 was his third century of the summer
- Published
Vitality County Championship Division One, Canterbury (day four)
Hampshire 403 & 24-1: Vince 11; Garrett 1-17
Kent 207 & 338: Leaning 100, Finch 79; Abbott 4-66
Kent (11 pts) drew with Hampshire (15 pts)
Kent will live to fight another day in Division One of the County Championship after they battled for a draw with Hampshire on a thrilling final day at Canterbury.
Kent were all out for 338 in their second innings. Jack Leaning made exactly 100 in a stand of 149 with Harry Finch, who was the last man out for 79, while Kyle Abbott took 4-66 and Mohammad Abbas 3-69.
It meant Hampshire needed 143 from nine overs but their improbable run chase lasted just 2.4 overs. They were 24-1 when bad light ended their pursuit just before 18:00 BST.
But they are still remain 36 points from safety with two games left and a maximum of 48 points available, while Hampshire in third are 27 points shy of leaders Surrey.
Kent began on 70 without loss in their second innings, still 126 behind and they suffered a major blow went Tawanda Muyeye went to the fourth ball of the morning when he edged Abbott to Toby Albert at second slip and was out for 46.
Abbott then removed Ben Compton for 25, again caught by Albert, before Abbas took two wickets in nine balls, Daniel Bell-Drummond for 23 and Joe Denly (five).
Abbott captured Joey Evison for 11, victim of a low slip catch by James Vince, leaving Leaning and Finch to survive to 145-5 at lunch.
The duo batted out the entire afternoon session with Hampshire’s tactic of bowling short backfiring as both batters comfortably dealt with a barrage of bouncers.
Leaning glanced a single off Abbott to bring up his century but he was out soon after, ending a record sixth-wicket partnership for Kent against Hampshire and reigniting the contest.
Charlie Stobo (17), Matt Parkinson (seven) and George Garrett (four) followed but Jas Singh lingered for 27 balls in a crucial last wicket stand with Finch that used 11 overs and ended only when the latter tried to hook James Fuller and was caught at first slip by Vince.
In bad light and with nine fielders on the boundary the run chase was largely theoretical, especially when the rain returned.
Report supplied by ECB Reporters' Network