Kent v Durham

DURHAM batted doggedly, as the championship depended on it, on the second morning of Kent's LV Championship match in Canterbury against the title-chasers from the North East.

Resuming on their overnight score of 126 for four and responding to Kent's 212 all out, Durham went into lunch on 252 for seven, having lost three wickets in a fairly dour morning session for an overall lead in the game of 40.

Phil Mustard, the man called up by England to replace injured keeper Matt Prior on this winter's tour of Sri Lanka, was their first casualty of the day for a determined 22.

Aiming to push drive a Ryan McLaren leg-cutter, Mustard edged to his Kent counterpart Geraint Jones to make it 156 for five and put an end to a fifth-wicket stand worth 64 in 20 overs with Dale Benkenstein.

The Rhodesia right-hander carried on undaunted through to the break, he broke out into a flurry of attacking shots at one stage, hitting Tredwell for a four and six into the Nackington Road on his way to an excellent unbeaten 89, but otherwise it remained a low-risk batting strategy for the visitors.

At the other end, Ottis Gibson reined in his naturally aggressive batting style to lend valuable support with 40, but he ran out of patience just before lunch when, in leaning back to cut, he was bowled by a turning ball from Tredwell to break a partnership that added 86 in 24 overs.

Liam Plunkett got off the mark with a straight six of Tredwell but, in the next over, he went half forward to a Martin Saggers in-ducker to go leg before without addition.

Scorecard

Kent first innings

R W T Key c Di Venuto bv Gibson 3
J L Denly b Onions 4
M van Jaarsveld c Di Venuto b Davies 25
M J Walker c Di Venuto b Davies 7
N J Dexter c Di Venuto b Gibson 28
S A Northeast c Benkenstein b Gibson 5
G O Jones b Onions 32
J C Tredwell lbw b Plunkett 18
R McLaren not out 54
S J Cook c Mustard b Onions 3
M J Saggers b Davies 16

Extras 17

Total 212 all out in 50.5 overs.

Fall of wicket: 1-7, 2-9, 3-27, 4-46, 5-57, 6-84, 7-122, 8-136, 9-147.

Bowling: Gibson 13-1-16-3, Onions 15-2-49-3, Davies 11.5-4-43-3, Plunkett 11-2-52-1.

Durham first innings

M J Di Venuto c Jons b McLaren 32
M D Stoneman lbw b Saggers 0
K J Coetzer c Dexter b Tredwell 44
S Chanderpaul c van Jaarsveld b Tredwell 4
D M Benkenstein not out 89
P Mustard c Jones b McLaren 22
O D Gibson b Tredwell 40
L E Plunkett lbw b Saggers 6
P J Wiseman not out 1
Extras 14

Total 252 for seven after 69 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-3, 2-86, 3-86, 4-92, 5-156, 6-242, 7-251.

Bowling: Saggers 23-2-75-2, McLaren 15-1-68-2, Cook 11-3-32-0, Tredwell 20-3-71-3.

Bonus points: Kent 3pt, Durham 5pts.