After falling nine runs short of his maiden career double-century Sam Northeast admitted he was surprised by how disappointed he was.

The Kent skipper did manage a career-best 191 in the first innings of the rain-interrupted draw against Derbyshire at Canterbury this week but failed to join team-mates Daniel Bell-Drummond, Joe Denly and Sean Dickson in passing 200 in a First Class game this season.

Northeast admitted: “I was nine runs short but it seems I am improving my career-best a couple of runs at a time. Hopefully, I’ll get there one day.

“I know it’s ridiculous but there was a lot of disappointment for not getting 200. I didn’t
think I’d be like that but the disappointment is there that I didn’t get a double.

“I could have played it a bit differently at the end, rather than hitting it down long-on’s throat.”

Kent took over at the top of Specsavers County Championship Division 2 after seeing-out a dour draw on Wednesday afternoon.

A lifeless pitch and two injury-hit bowling attacks provided all the ingredients for a high-scoring draw in Canterbury.

After Derbyshire’s mammoth first innings total of 574-9 declared had secured a 195-run first innings lead, Kent set out their stall to bat out the final three-and-a-half sessions of the match to secure their sixth draw of the summer.

They comfortably achieved the stalemate thanks to dogged half-centuries from Tom Latham (74) and Joe Denly (64) and a 47-ball 50 by Sam Northeast.

The skipper finished unbeaten on 70 having passed 1,000 runs for the season on the final afternoon before drizzle ended the game prematurely at 4pm with Kent on 238-3, 74 ahead.

It was thanks largely to Northeast that Kent’s deficit had not been greater, as he amassed a career-best 191 from 266 balls featuring 22 fours to guide his side from trouble at 166-6 to a closing total of 379, sharing a club record stand against Derbyshire of 150 for the seventh wicket with Adam Ball, who made 66, three short of his First Class Best.

Wayne Madsen (163) and Shiv Thakor (123) reached three figures on a rain-affected third day and put on 144 for the sixth wicket as a Kent attack missing the injured Ivan Thomas, Calum Haggett and Matt Coles, unavailable for disciplinary reasons, toiled.

Hamish Rutherford (65) and Chesney Hughes (85) also contributed to the 574-9d total, though James Tredwell took 3-153 from his near 50-over turn and Matt Hunn, Darren Stevens and Mitch Claydon two scalps apiece.

Kent claimed 10 points to move above Essex - who retain a game in hand - and to the top of the Division 2 table ahead of their four-day trip to Chelmsford starting on Sunday (11am).

Northeast added: “Yes we’ve gone top but who knows if this was a good draw or not. I’m a little bit disappointed if I’m honest.

"I felt we should have posted a bigger score to help set the game up, but it was a tough pitch to bowl on and I’m hoping that for our remaining games here we’ll produced a surface with a little bit more pace and carry in it."

Commenting on Derbyshire’s decision to bat late on into the third day, the Kent skipper added: “If we’d batted better than we did it wouldn’t have come to that and they must have still had it in the back of their minds that we bowled them out for 90-odd to win at their place in May.

“However, whichever way you look at it, they might have played more positively, but the pitch made that difficult throughout.”