Ingram and Kellaway build Glamorgan advantage before Kent fight back
Colin Ingram and Ben Kellaway put on 172 for Glamorgan's fifth wicket before Kent fought back
- Published
Rothesay County Championship Division Two, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff (day two)
Kent 155 & 106-1: Compton 38*, Jaydn Denly 38
Glamorgan 327 (100.5 overs): Kellaway 90, Ingram 87; Agar 4-58, Parkinson 4-103
Kent (3 pts) trail Glamorgan (5 pts) by 66 runs with nine second-innings wickets standing
Kent fought back hard with ball and ball on day two against Glamorgan but still trail by 66 runs, at 106-1 in their second innings.
The experienced Colin Ingram (87) and in-form young all-rounder Ben Kellaway (90) provided more than half Glamorgan's runs in a stand of 172, exactly the first-innings gap between the two sides.
But leg-spinner Mat Parkinson helped to check Glamorgan's progress with 4-103 with paceman Wes Agar also adding a fourth wicket as the hosts were dismissed for 327.
Given 35 overs to face, Kent lost Jaydn Denly for 38 to Kellaway but the dogged Ben Compton and Chris Benjamin saw them through to stumps as they look to battle their way towards safety.
Glamorgan started the day 30 behind but Ingram and Kellaway batted sensibly for the morning session to take their stand to 172, by far the best first-innings effort on either side on a slow wicket.
They were happy to accumulate singles and put the odd bad ball away, with little sign of a wicket apart from a run-out chance to dismiss Ingram.
The South African, who will be taking a coaching role in the One Day Cup, looked set for a third successive hundred but fell on the stroke of lunch, as he edged the left-arm spin of Jaydn Denly to slip after hitting nine fours and a six.
Kellaway drove Parkinson to cover just after the interval, having taken his season's Championship tally to 749 in another mature knock from the 21 year old.
That encouraged Daniel Bell-Drummond to delay taking the new ball and Parkinson repaid his faith as the old Kookaburra grew ever more difficult to get away, with Timm van der Gugten clubbing him to mid-wicket and James Harris lobbing a return catch.
But Ned Leonard hoisted Parkinson for a couple of straight sixes either side of the second batting point, secured in the company of a cautious Chris Cooke.
Remarkably Kent bowled an extra 17 overs before eventually taking the new ball at 316-8, and Agar bowled Leonard for 25 with the fifth ball of his spell.
Cooke was last out for 36, skying Parkinson to mid-off after trying to farm the strike, leaving time for Kent to cut the deficit by 14 runs before tea.
Jaydn Denly led a mostly untroubled reply from Kent, helped by seeing key seamer Timm van der Gugten withdraw for most of the third session.
But Denly, whose uncle Joe may bat low down if needed with a calf injury, lost patience and hoicked Kellaway high to mid-wicket for 38.
Compton reached a placid 38 not out off 109 balls and Benjamin was unbeaten on 22 overnight after play ended on time for once, with Kent needing to bat through day three at least and hope the pitch wears in the final innings.
Glamorgan's Colin Ingram told BBC Sport Wales:
"I really enjoyed the partnership with Ben, through the season we've been getting to know each other's game better and better, he's a fast learner and it's been great to spend time out there with him.
"It's never too early (to talk of international honours), he's got loads of talent and it's been great to see him put in big performance after big performance all season. We all know in this dressing-room he's got a massive future but it's up to him how far he goes, he's a lot more sure of his game this season.
"Hopefully I've got a few years left (playing) but in years to come, coaching will be my future, so I'm doing work experience (in the One Day Cup) and giving some of our younger guys an opportunity and some guidance.
"I'm excited for that role but certainly not stepping away from (playing) the game. It's one of my favourite formats and hopefully I can pass on some knowledge so we can fast-track some of our young batters."
Kent's Matt Parkinson told BBC Kent Sport:
"Fight-back is the word we'd use, we were pleased to have them four down overnight after being light with the bat, but the first session didn't go to plan because (Ingram and Kellaway) are great players.
"To take five wickets in the afternoon session was fantastic and for us to get through the evening session one down was great.
"It was quite a slow pitch, it was nice to bowl spin when the ball was quite hard and I thought I bowled quite well in my first 15 overs though the figures didn't say that, and as a whole the team were good today.
"In the past we'd have been done for after that first session, so small things are working."