Kent won by seven wickets

A CENTURY from Martin van Jaarsveld and a vital unbeaten 84 from Matthew Walker helped steer Kent to a first win of the season and their 32nd at Lord’s in the county’s history.

His side’s top-scorer with 83 in last week’s defeat to Durham, van Jaarsveld did even better this time around and in the process eased Kent home to their seven wicket win with 21 overs to spare.

In the end, the visitors coasted over the finish line but, in a fine all-round team display, it was Walker (with an aggregate 207 in the match), van Jaarsveld and Fulton who took the batting plaudits while Robbie Joseph took the bowling honours with eight wickets in the game.

Knowing that a steady start was needed, the visitors lost their first wicket seven overs into the final day when Rob Key, having added four to his overnight score in half-an hour, went leg before to Chris Silverwood to make it 63 for one.

It proved to be the sole Middlesex success of the morning session, however, as David Fulton and van Jaarsveld re-grouped to see their side into lunch on 159 for one.

Fulton posted his second half-century of the summer from 95 balls and with six boundaries and had reached 70 when Ben Hutton dropped a sharp chance at slip after the Kent right-hander had aimed to late cut off-spinner Jamie Dalrymple.

The pair went on to add 103 in 27 overs but ultimately the let-off mattered little when, seven runs later and four overs into the second session, Fulton edged an attempted drive of Johann Louw to see keeper Ben Scott pull off a fine tumbling catch near first slip.

Again Kent took the blow and went back on the counter though van Jaarsveld and Walker in a second century stand.

The tall South African’s straight driving was imperious and he also savaged anything short, while his much shorter partner Walker fed off the scraps, punching through backward point whenever he was given width to free his arms.

Van Jaarsveld clubbed three successive fours off Hutton’s gentle medium-pacers then, a ball later, clipped two to long leg to raise his first hundred of the season and his fifth for Kent from 152-balls and with 13 fours.

After helping to add 101 in 22 overs van Jaarsveld was stunned by a straight one from fellow South African Louw.

The right-arm seamer had conceded 16 from his previous 16 deliveries before van Jaarsveld perished leg before when working slightly across the line.

Walker cantered on, reaching 37 by tea, after which he and Stevens upped the run rate by cashing in on some wayward Middlesex bowling.

Mohammad Ali dropped short to be deposited into the Grandstand as Walker swivelled to pull and post the 300, then Stevens dined on the occasional off-spin of Owais Shah by clubbing a brace of successive fours as they added an unbroken 89 to seal victory.

SCORECARD

Middlesex first innings:

E T Smith c van Jaarsveld b Joseph 36
B L Hutton c Joseph b Kemp 47
O A Shah c van Jaarsveld b Khan 12
E C Joyce c Kemp b Joseph 130
J W M Dalrymple c O’Brien b Cook 17
N R D Compton c O’Brien b Kemp 13
B J M Scott b Kemp12
J Louw c O’Brien b Stevens 1
C J C Wright c van Jaarsveld 10
C E W Silverwood c Stevens b Joseph 2
Mohammad Ali not out 19

Extras 34

Total 333 all out after 101.1 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-67, 2-91, 3-154, 4-191, 5-232, 6-255, 7-268, 8-289, 9-295.

Bowling: Khan 23-4-82-1, Cook 18-4-48-1, Joseph 22.1-2-62-4, Kemp 20-3-72-3, Patel 12-1-42-0, Stevens 6-0-14-1.

Kent first innings:

R W T Key lbw b Silverwood 4
D P Fulton c Dalrymple b Wright 30
M van Jaarsveld c Smith b Silverwood 63
M J Walker c Joyce b Ali 123
D I Stevens c Scott b Louw 15
J M Kemp c Hutton b Dalrymple 13
M M Patel c Hutton b Dalrymple 2
S J Cook c Shah b Silverwood 6
A Khan b Dalrymple 11
R H Joseph not out 0

Extras 31

Total 308 all out after 85.5 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-9, 2-69, 3-156, 4-162, 5-184, 6-211, 7-224, 8-251, 9-296

Bowling: Silverwood 17-3-55-3, Louw 20-5-69-1, Wright 15-3-64-1, Ali 13.5-2-71-2, Hutton 3-2-6-0, Dalrymple 17-6-33-3.

Middlesex second innings:

E T Smith c van Jaarsveld b Khan 2
B L Hutton c Key b Joseph 8
O A Shah lbw b Khan 16
E C Joyce c van Jaarsveld b Joseph 9
J W M Dalrymple lbw b Joseph 64
N R D Compton b Khan 124
B J M Scott c & b Kemp 14
J Louw c O’Brien b Joseph 2
C J C Wright c Sub (Cusden) b Walker 42
C E W Silverwood not out 1
M Ali c & b Khan 19

Extras 26

Total 327 all out after 93.1 overs

Fall of wicket 1-11, 2-23, 3-45, 4-45, 5-140, 6-182, 7-210, 8-298, 9-307

Bowling: Joseph 23-3-67-4, Khan 17.1-3-58-4, Cook 15-1-48-0, Kemp 12-1-51-1, Stevens 9-1-19-0, Patel 12-1-52-0, Walker 5-1-18-1.

Kent second innings:

R W T Key lbw b Silverwood 19
D P Fulton c Scott b Louw 77
M van Jaarsveld lbw b Louw 104
M J Walker not out 84
D I Stevens not out 35

Extras 37

Total 356 for three after 92.4 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-63, 2-166, 3-267

Bowling: Louw 19-1-83-2, Silverwood 16-2-42-1, Wright 10-0-48-0, Ali 15-1-49-0, Dalrymple 26-4-77-0, Hutton 2-1-14-0, Shah 4.4-0-26-0.

Bonus points: Middlesex 6pts Kent 20pts.