Kent 285 all out

A STUNNING counter-attacking half-century from Tyron Henderson lit up an otherwise dour and dogged opening day to Kent’s Canterbury Cricket Week championship clash with Hampshire.

Henderson, cutting the figure of the swarthy village blacksmith, marched to the middle with his side up against it at 186 for six in testing conditions and against a Hampshire attack with its tail up.

The South African had a quick chat with deposed England wicketkeeper Geraint Jones, who was being watched from the stands by chief selector David Graveney, and the pair quickly set about turning the day on its head.

Before Henderson’s arrival batting had looking a perilous pastime, an endeavour of survival rather than entertainment, but Jones and Henderson changed all that with a stand of 91 in 14 overs.

In fading light Jones faced the lion’s share of Warne’s wizardry from the Pavilion End, leaving Henderson to take on off-spinner Shaun Udal from the Nackington Road End.

Slogging imperiously with a strong bottom hand, Henderson scored his maiden championship half-century from just 41 balls with three sixes and six fours.

Jones, though playing second fiddle, played a couple of sumptuous cover drives among his seven boundaries, but the fun ended with his score on 35 from 63 balls.

Though well forward to a looping Warne flipper he was adjudged leg before by probationary umpire Steve Garratt to become one of the Australian's three for 26 return.

Henderson soon followed, steering a turning ball to slip and the tail capitulated thereafter as Kent succumbed for 285 to miss a third batting bonus point by 15 runs.

The first two sessions of the day proved something of a war of attrition as Kent set out to eke out as many runs as possible from a dry, khaki-coloured St Lawrence pitch.

A blustery cross wind and overcast conditions helped give Hampshire’s bowlers a considerable edge after Kent elected to bat first.

In the opening session Hampshire skipper Warne rang the changes, using seven bowlers and switching them eight times in teasing out both Kent openers when David Fulton (14) padded up to Dominic Thornely and Rob Key (27) steered a wide one to cover point.

Batting became increasingly tricky after the interval as England Test hopeful Chris Tremlett extracted steepling bounce to trouble Kent’s middle order.

He struck Martin van Jaarsveld on the gloves before bowling him off an inside edge and then had Darren Stevens (8) caught at slip as he wafted at a lifting leg-cutter.

Sean Ervine then got in on the act to remove Dwayne Bravo for a bright 31 before the Trinidadian followed one angled across the body to see Warne pull off a stunning one-handed catch low to his left at slip.

Jones faced just two balls before rain took the players from the field for an early tea, but soon after the resumption Kent lost in-form Matthew Walker for a battling 52.

The left-hander occupied the crease for almost two hours in scoring his 52 from 158 balls and was just nine short of his 1,000 runs for the season when he followed a leg-cutter from Dimitri Mascarenhas to that man Warne at second slip.

As an indication of how tricky batting was in the opening two sessions, Mascarenhas, a military-medium seamer at best, sent down 10 maidens in his 19-over stint.

Understandably, Warne appeared content with his day’s work when bad light stopped play eight overs short of the scheduled close, but Kent’s 285 may yet prove to be a worthy total.

Scorecard

Kent first innings

D P Fulton lbw b Thornely 14
R W T Key c Carberry b Thornely 27
M van Jaarsveld b Tremlett 34
M J Walker c Warne b Mascarenhas 52
D I Stevens c Ervine b Tremlett 8
D Bravo c Warne b Ervine 31
G O Jones lbw b Warne 35
T Henderson c Ervine b Warne 59
A Khan not out 5
M M Patel c Ervine b Udal 1
M J Saggers b Warne 0

Extras 19

Total 285 all out after 93.4 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-38, 2-56, 3-114, 4-132, 5-173, 6-186, 7-277, 8-282, 9-285.

Bowling: Bruce 11-4-31-0, Tremlett 16-3-56-2, Thornely 17-2-62-2, Mascarenhas 19-10-29-1, Ervine 6-2-18-1, Warne 11.4-1-26-3, Udal 13-2-54-1.

Bonus points: Kent 2pts, Hampshire 3pts.

* Mark Pennell's second day report from St Lawrence will appear here at the close of play today.