RAIN was the real winner on day three of Kent’s championship finale of the season against Middlesex where contract negotiations caught the imagination more than the cricket did.

Some 64 overs were lost in the day to prevent either side from making any real progress toward a result, leaving supporters and players to gossip over Kent's probable retained list for 2007.

Steady drizzle delayed the start until 3.30pm and 64 overs were lost in the day by the time Middlesex resumed on their overnight score of 166 for four, needing 454 to avoid following on.

In the 45 overs that were bowled in the day the already relegated visitors were making good strides toward saving the game before the loss of three wickets in the final half-hour left them struggling on 325 for eight –still trailing by 278.

Though Kent captured four wickets in the two-and-a-half hours of play the game still looks destined to be a draw unless Middlesex capitulate to lose 12 wickets on the final day.

Paul Weekes (35) was first to go, edging a back-foot slash against Robbie Joseph to James Tredwell at slip and then David Nash (64) became Joe Denly’s maiden championship victim when he missed an attempted pull to go leg before.

Three overs from the close Rob Ferley bagged his fourth wicket of the innings when he had Chris Peploe caught at mid-on by Neil Dexter.

Joyce, was just one short of his century, when his 226-minute stay came to an end when he edged a push drive off Tredwell to Martin van Jaarsveld at slip.

Kent's coaching staff used the long rain delay to hold their end-of-term player interviews in the aftermath of Thursday night's final committee meeting of the summer.

The early outcome of those meetings is that David Fulton is not to be offered a contract for 2007 and former England Under-19 paceman Simon Cusden is also being released.

The club have yet to issue a statement on their retained list for next summer, but it is known that six more players are out of contract come the end of the month.

SCOREBOARD

Kent first innings

D P Fulton c Peploe b Silverwood 155
J L Denly b Silverwood 66
M van Jaarsveld c Joyce b Peploe 2
M J Walker c Nash b Silverwood 104
R S Ferley c Hutton b Peploe 22
D I Stevens not out 126
G O Jones Lbw b Joyce 59
N J Dexter not out 35
Extras 34

Total 603 for six declared after 164 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-123, 2-138, 3-334, 4-357, 5-417, 6-538.

Bowling: Silverwood 34-7-90-3, Louw 24-3-66-0, Peploe 50-4-205-2, Wright 23-1-113-0, Hutton 4-0-25-0, Weekes 24-2-67-0, Joyce 5-0-21-1.

Middlesex first innings

B Hutton b Ferley 20
N R D Compton lbw b Joseph 25
O A Shah b Ferley 43
E T Smith c Denly b Ferley 7
E C Joyce c van Jaarsveld b Tredwell 99
P N Weekes c Tredwell b Joseph 35
D C Nash lbw b Denly 64
C T Peploe c Dexter b Ferley 6
J Louw not out 0
C J C Wright not out 1
Extras 25

Total 325 for eight after 88 overs.

Fall of wicket: 1-41, 2-91, 3-124, 4-136, 5-197, 6-304, 7-324, 8-324.

Bowling: Cook 13-2-56-0, Joseph 13-3-49-2, Tredwell 28-5-86-1, Ferley 27-3-105-4, Stevens 4-1-12-0, Denly 3-1-8-1.

Bonus points: Kent 7pts, Middlesex 4pts.

* Mark Pennell's day four report will appear here at the close of play this evening.