Hampshire v Kent

KENT dominated day two at The Rose Bowl by scoring their highest ever total at the south-coast venue before reducing Hampshire to 186 for seven come Wednesday's close and the mid-point of the game.

Responding to Kent's mammoth 495 all out, the title-chasing hosts set off needing 346 to avoid the follow-on and they looked in good shape as openers Michael Brown and Michael Carberry added 79 without alarm.

Just four short of a deserved half-century Carberry played back and across the line to a quicker ball from James Tredwell and was marching off toward the pavilion even before umpire Roy Palmer, standing in his final game before retirement, raised the finger to uphold the leg before appeal.

His opening partner Brown reached 1,000 first-class runs for the summer after passing 30, but his demise after tea sparked the loss of four wickets for six runs in the space of 29 balls.

Brown sliced an attempted lofted drive off Tredwell straight to Darren Stevens at mid-off, Michael Lumb (0) was caught on the crease and snared leg before by Cook, then Jimmy Adams marched down the pitch one pace with intent to loft Tredwell over the top only to turn the ball straight to Neil Dexter at short leg.

Cook then bagged his second when Nic Pothas, reaching for a fairly wide leg-cutter, edged to the keeper to make it 104 for five.

Ryan McLaren then got in on the act when he had Chris Benham (17) caught at mid-on off a skied hook and, six runs later, Tredwell took his fourth victim when Sean Ervine (20) edged to the keeper Jones.

Shane Warne and David Balcombe survived through to stumps, but Hampshire still need a further 160 to avoid batting again on day three.

Earlier, half-centuries from Tredwell and Geraint Jones, coupled with a belligerent 35 from 38 balls by Ryan McLaren took Kent through to 495 all out - their highest ever total at The Rose Bowl and with it maximum batting bonus points.

The host skipper Warne oozed frustration from every pore as Kent batted well beyond lunch for their fifth bonus point, so much so, that the Aussie leg-spinner resorted to bowling a few bouncers in a bid to make something happen.

While Hampshire were dropping a bowling point in their bid to overhaul leaders Sussex, Kent made the most of the sunny, near-perfect batting conditions to approach 500.

Having lost Martin van Jaarsveld without addition to his overnight 112, he shouldered arms to the 12th ball of the day from Balcombe to lose his middle and off stumps, Kent re-grouped through Jones and Tredwell and a seventh wicket stand worth 83 in 26 overs.

Jones, batting positively and fluently for the first time in weeks reached 50 from 75 balls and with nine fours, while Tredwell, fighting the pain from a swollen knee, moved his feet surprisingly well against Warne to get his half-century from 90 balls and with seven boundaries.

Their stand ended when Jones, in attempting to cut one too close to his body, dragged the ball onto his stumps against James Tomlinson to make it 425 for seven.

Soon after lunch Tredwell went leg before for 62 from 104 balls when playing across a straight ball from occasional seamer Adams, then Warne wrapped things up by trapping Cook (9) and Martin Saggers (1) leg before to finish with four for 134 and 50 wickets for the summer.

McLaren was left unbeaten on 35, having hit four fours in his 38-ball cameo.

Scorecard
Kent first innings
J L Denly st Pothas b Warne 54
R W T Key lbw b Ervine 84
M van Jaarsveld b Balmcombe 112
M J Walker c Brown b Warne 38
D I Stevens c Pothas b Bruce 18
N J Dexter c Pothas b Balcombe 6
G O Jones b Tomlinson 63
J C Tredwell lbw b Adams 62
R J McLaren not out 35
S J Cook lbw b Warne 9
M J Saggers lbw b Warne 1
Extras 13

Total 495 all out after 146.3 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-122, 2-169, 3-249, 4-296, 5-310, 6-342, 7-425, 8-462, 9-481.

Bowling: Bruce 30-4-101-1, Tomlinson 21-6-81-1, Balcombe 28-5-106-2, Warne 44.3-6-134-4. Ervine 16-4-47-1, Carberry 4-1-8-0, Adams 3-0-10-0.

Hampshire first innings
M J Brown c Stevens b Tredwell 42
M J Carberry lbw b Tredwell 46
J H K Adams c Dexter b Tredwell 3
M J Lumb lbw b Cook 0
C C Benham c Stevens b McLaren 17
N Pothas c Jones b Cook 0
S M Ervine c Jones b Tredwell 20
S K Warne not out 28
D J Balcombe not out 18
Extras 11

Total 186 for seven after 59 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-79, 2-98, 3-99, 4-99. 5-104, 6-133, 7-139.

Bowling: Saggers 9-1-38-0, McLaren 17-3-77-1, Tredwell 23-8-46-4, Cook 10-3-22-2.

Bonus points: Hampshire 2pts, Kent 7pts.