Matt Henry stars with bat and ball to give Kent win against Sussex in County Championship
Published: 18:29, 13 May 2018
Updated: 18:32, 13 May 2018
Matt Henry took 10 wickets in the match and scored a second innings half century to help Kent to a 58 run win against Sussex at home in the Specsavers County Championship Division 2.
Their win at The Spitfire Ground St Lawrence was their third consecutive in the competition.
In a thrilling third day at Canterbury, Henry hit a wonderful 55 to set Sussex 270 to win. He then took 6-53 in the second innings as the visitors were bowled out for 211.
Heino Kuhn top scored in Kent's first innings with 60 off 116 balls as they posted 215 on Friday.
At one stage Kent were 125-2 but suffered a middle order collapse losing four wickets for nine runs. Calum Haggett and Grant Stewart both scored 31, batting at seven and 10 respectively, to earn the home side their first batting point of the 2018 season.
The wickets were shared between David Wiese (4-54), Ollie Robinson (3-51), and Ishant Sharma (3-62).
Sussex’s response stuttered with four early wickets going for 21 runs. Luke Wright (35), Ben Brown (30) and Michael Burgess (54) staged a recovery in the middle order to help their side to 181.
Matt Henry claimed 4-69 but they did lose Grant Stewart to a recurrence of his hamstring injury after bowling just 6.5 overs.
With a slim lead of 34 Kent began their second innings on day two with the chance to post a tough score for the Sussex batters.
After losing Daniel Bell-Drummond and Sean Dickson for two and eight respectively, Kuhn (47), Denly (26) and Zak Crawley (24) got starts but failed to push on.
With Kent 146-7, it was left to Matt Henry and Harry Podmore to put on a 74-run partnership.
Henry batted superbly to hit 55 off 53 balls and Podmore was left on 24 not out at the end of the innings.
The home side were bowled out for 235 setting a total of 270 for Sussex to win.
Henry went on to star with the ball, again, in Sussex’s second innings to help Kent clinch victory.
He took 6-53 as the visitors were bowled out for 211.
The New Zealand fast bowler has now taken 37 County Championship wickets this season.
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Josh Fordham