Kent (150 & 94-2) drew with Gloucestershire (255 & 257-7 dec)

Skipper Rob Key hit a stubborn unbeaten 32 as Kent held on for a draw in their rain interrupted LV= County Championship game against Gloucestershire.

A negative declaration from Gloucestershire captain Alex Gidman just before lunch on the final day left Kent requiring 362 to win, or two sessions to survive, in this Division 2 game at St Lawrence.

With rain having interrupted several times in the game and showers forecast again on day four, Gidman’s decision not to declare earlier on day four meant the draw was always the likeliest of results.

The visitors pressed home their advantage at the beginning of the final day with Gidman and Hamish Marshall sharing in a 112-run partnership for the fourth wicket. It was Matt Coles who picked up Gidman (70) before trapping Ian Cockbain (5) in front to halt Gloucestershire’s progress. Marshall was then run out for 74 by Brendan Nash, while Will Gidman struck a quick-fire 20 before he was snared by James Tredwell.

The visitors had posted 257-7 when Alex Gidman finally decided to call time on Gloucestershire’s second innings, setting Kent an unlikely 362 in just two sessions.

Loan signing Scott Newman (17) and Key looked relatively comfortable in an opening stand before the former feathered a catch to Richard Coughtrie off Will Gidman.

Ben Harmison joined Key (pictured) and the pair put on 51 to settle any nerves in the home dressing room, with both looking at ease until Harmison (20) picked out the solitary man on the leg side boundary off left-arm spinner Ed Youngs.

Key continued to look unruffled on his way to 32 off 100 balls, scoring just one boundary in the process, and he was joined by Nash (5 not out) as the pair saw Kent to safety at 94-2 when rain called a halt to proceedings shortly before the tea interval and there was no further play.

The home side were always playing catch-up in the game after conceding a 105-run first innings deficit. Having bowled Gloucestershire out for 255, with Coles again leading the way with 4-70 and Mark Davies chipping in with 4-43, Kent completely lost their way with the bat. They limped to 55-5 before Darren Stevens weighed in with an important knock of 54 but he could do little to prevent the home side being bowled out for 150.

The draw keeps Kent’s unbeaten start to the season intact with a win and two draws, ahead of next week’s visit of Yorkshire.