Durham draw with relegated Kent in rain-hit game
Jack Leaning top scored in Kent's first innings with 84
- Published
Vitality County Championship, Seat Unique Riverside (day four)
Durham 360: Lees 144, Bedingham 66, Gay 52; M Parkinson 6-109
Kent 353-8: Leaning 84, Evison 77*; De Leede 3-64
Durham (13 pts) drew with Kent (14 pts)
Excellent knocks from Jack Leaning, Joe Denly and Joey Evison steered already-relegated Kent to a creditable draw in their rain-affected County Championship game at Durham.
Leaning (84) and Denly (63) came together after an early wicket for the hosts and combined for a partnership of 124 before Evison’s 77 helped Kent finish on 353-8.
Durham would have been boosted by the sight of England Test skipper Ben Stokes continuing his recovery from a hamstring injury as he targets a return for the Pakistan Test series.
Kent resumed on 96-3 at Chester-le-Street, with skipper Leaning and nightwatchman Jas Singh at the crease.
Singh did not last long as he feathered a Bas de Leede ball down the legside to Ollie Robinson in the second over.
Leaning then reached his 50 from 108 balls, while at the other end Denly continued to find the boundary.
He survived being dropped by Callum Parkinson at fine leg and went on to reach his half-century, which came from 82 balls and included five fours.
Parkinson dropped Denly again after he failed to take a tricky return catch off his own bowling, but the left-arm spinner made it third time lucky as he got Denly caught and bowled.
Leaning quickly followed him back to the pavilion after he pulled a Bas de Leede delivery straight to James Minto on the legside boundary.
Evison came to the crease and swung some momentum back to the visitors, carving a Daniel Hogg delivery to the offside boundary and he then smashing a Parkinson ball down the ground for six.
Marcus O’Riordan then departed after he edged Hogg to Colin Ackermann at slip.
Evison continued to motor alongside Grant Stewart as they took Kent past the follow-on target, but the latter departed for 40 just after tea, handing Chemar Holder his first wicket of the match.
Evison reached his 50 from 67 balls and saw out the draw for the visitors.
Report supplied by ECB Reporters' Network.
