SEPTEMBER 8 may yet go down as the date when Kent’s 2005 County Championship title challenge finally ran out of steam as Middlesex dominated day two of this end-of-season challenge at Lord’s.

Responding to Kent’s first innings of 384 all out, the hosts who are fighting tooth and nail with Surrey to stay out of the third relegation slot, reached 342 for two courtesy of excellent centuries from captain Ben Hutton and former England under-19 skipper Owais Shah.

Hutton ended another cloudless day in St John’s wood unbeaten on a career-best 150 having lost Shah, the country’s leading run-getter, for a stylish 128 soon after tea.

The second wicket partners posted a record 279 off 81 overs as Kent tried eight bowlers in a bid to break through.

Shah hit nine fours, many of them sumptuous straight drives, and a six off Min Patel during his stay and ran brilliantly between the wickets, often turning twos into threes, with Hutton as Kent flagged in the field.

Hutton meanwhile cut and pulled with a sound technique and also punished anything over-pitched with crisp drives on this shirtfront pitch.

Kent had enjoyed one early success when Amjad Khan moved one in off the seam to peg back the off and middle stumps of former Kent bat Ed Smith, who paid the price for little or no foot movement.

Kent had to wait a shade under five hours for their next success in the third session of the day when Shah went back to a Patel quicker ball to go leg before.

It proved their second and last breakthrough of the day and ensured Middlesex will go into day three with a deficit of only 42 and with eight first innings wickets in hand.

Kent will need a minor miracle from here on if they are to force the win they require to sustain their Division 1 title challenge.

SCORECARD

Kent first innings

D P Fulton b Trego 16
R W T Key c Shah b Richardson 94
M van Jaarsveld b Trego 0
M J Walker c Scott b Trego 11
D I Stevens st Scott b Golwalkar 43
J M Kemp b Dalrymple 102
A J Hall c Joyce b GolWalkar 16
N J O’Brien c Hutton b Richardson 13
M M Patel c Dalrymple b Golwalkar 0
S J Cook lbw b Richardson 0
A Khan not out 58
Extras 31

Total 384 all out after 103 overs.

Fall of wicket: 1-50, 2-56, 3-80, 4-172, 5-182, 6-198, 7-245, 8-248, 9-249.

Bowling: Richardson 27-4-90-3, Betts 20-2-74-0, Trego 20-1-88-3, Golwalkar 31-7-112-3, Dalrymple 5-0-15-0.

Middlesex first innings

E T Smith b Khan 14
B L Hutton not out 150
O A Shah lbw b Patel 128
J W M Dalrymple not out 22
Extras 28

Total 342 for two after 104 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-27, 2-306.

Bowling: Khan 18-3-89-1, Cook 10-1-31-0, Kemp 10-2-16-0, Hall 16-2-54-0, Stevens 12-1-39-0, Patel 29-6-76-1, Walker 8-0-20-0, van Jaarsveld 1-0-1-0.