Kent ended their LV County Championship match with Northamptonshire in a tame draw at Canterbury.

It was Kent’s fifth draw from their opening six Division 2 matches this season.

The fourth and final day looked to be heading for a dramatic finale, with Kent set 262 for victory in their second innings, but the game petered out with the hosts 110-1 at the close.

Northants made slow progress with the bat on day one at the St Lawrence Ground and reached 244-4 by the close, although it could have been so much better for Kent, as the visitors slipped from 69-1 to 87-4 after lunch.

David Sales, however, reached 104 by the close alongside James Millbrook and the pair hit an unbroken 157 for the fifth wicket to revive Northants’ fortunes.

On day two the pair continued to frustrate Rob Key’s men, eventually breaking a 22-year fifth-wicket stand record for Northants against Kent.

Sales went for 140 after top edging to keeper Geraint Jones from off-spinner James Tredwell. Matt Coles then trapped Middlebrook in front for 73.

Their departure was followed by a seventh-wicket century stand from Con De Lange (39 not out) and David Willey (64) as Northants were eventually bowled out for 418.

Key (pictured above) made the decision to make a game of it as he declared Kent’s first innings following a rain-affected day three overnight on 280-6, still 138 runs shy of Northants’ opening innings.

Kent had made it past the follow-on score of 269 thanks largely to a fifth-wicket stand from Michael Powell (61) – claiming his first half century for Kent at Canterbury – and Darren Stevens (57).

On the final day, Northants openers Stephen Peters (54) and Middlebrook (64) both made unbeaten half-centuries as the visitors declared on 123-0. Kent had the remaining 60 overs to reach their target but quickly declined the chase and the match ended in a draw.