Kent v Durham day three

Kent will need to bat through all three sessions on Saturday and hope that Sussex go down to Yorkshire in Hove if they are to stave off relegation and prevent Durham from clinching the LV Championship first division title.

Rob Key’s tired and ailing side will go into the final day of the season rocking on 159-5 and still needing another 116 runs to make championship favourites Durham bat again.

It might have been worse for the hosts had South Africans Justin Kemp (49 not out) and Ryan McLaren (45 not out) not batted through the sunny, final hour of Friday’s play to prevent their side from suffering a humiliating three-day reverse.

The pair added 101 for the sixth wicket in 20 overs to salvage their side from the miserable position of 58-5 against a buoyant Durham and their right-arm seamer Callum Thorp in particular.

Batting again after conceding a first innings lead of 275, Kent were made to struggle by the Australian-born Thorp who bagged 5-33 inside 12 overs.

Skipper Rob Key, in aiming to leg, got a leading edge to Thorp’s first delivery of the day from the Pavilion End and looped a catch to Shivnarine Chanderpaul at mid-off to go for a first ball duck.

Joe Denly (9) then drove back a return catch to the bowler, while Martin van Jaarsveld (1) checked a drive against Thorp only to pick out Dale Benkenstein at short extra cover.

After tea Geraint Jones went leg before for 26 when working to leg to one that kept low, then Darren Stevens (18) edged a brutal lifting delivery to Gareth Breese at slip.

Durham innings

An unbeaten 122 from Durham all-rounder Breese, his best of the season, helped his side move a step nearer toward clinching their first championship title.

The languid Jamaican-born right-hander, playing only his second game of the season, saw Durham post 500-8 in their second innings and a lead of 275, at which point skipper Dale Benkenstein declared to give his bowlers the remaining 45 over of the day to have a go at the Kent top order.

Kent toiled throughout Friday’s opening session without reward as Durham’s seventh wicket pair of Phil Mustard (83) and Breese (64) enjoyed a partnership that eventually added 148 inside 42 overs – a record for the seventh wicket for Durham against Kent. Mustard reached his fourth 50 of the summer from 80 balls and with six fours and a six, while Breese was even quicker, reaching the milestone in 68 balls and with seven boundaries and a six.

Now that the St Lawrence pitch has fully dried, Kent’s seamers enjoyed little or no assistance from the surface and only McLaren caused much difficulty with additional pace and bounce.

The partnership eventually ended after lunch when Mustard holed out to deep square leg off James Tredwell.

Paul Wiseman (34) then clipped to deep mid-wicket to be caught low down by substitute fielder Charlie Hemphrey.

Breese reached three figures from 182 balls and with 11 fours and a six and, with Kent unable to pick up a third bowling bonus point, Durham declared.

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