KENT’S Frizzell Division 1 title bid effectively came to an end following a dramatic batting collapse on day three of their rain-ruined match with champions elect Nottinghamshire.

In a game they need to win, Kent appeared to be coasting to a reasonable score as they responded to the East Midlands’ county’s first innings of 486 for eight declared until the wheels fell off with the loss of five wickets in nine overs.

It all means that Kent will go into the final day of this their last home game of the championship campaign on 237 for five trailing by 249 and needing a further 100 just to make Nottinghamshire bat again.

While Nottinghamshire need to take 15 more wickets to win the game and with it the 2005 winners’ pennant, Kent at least showed they will not go down without a fight after a fine sixth-wicket partnership between Neil Dexter and Niall O’Brien that has so far added 129.

Requiring 336 to avoid following on, Kent were indebted to their two youngest players O’Brien and Dexter for a major fight-back after tea.

Dexter, 21 last week, batted beautifully against the turning ball and coped admirably against the quartet of Nottinghamshire swing bowlers to mark his championship debut with a stylish 50 from 97 balls and with seven fours.

Though Durban-born, he qualifies for an English passport through his grandfather who comes from Richmond in Surrey.

Having averaged 88.5 in Kent’s successful 2nd XI championship campaign he appears to have a big future with Kent and plans to commit himself to the county and the country.

After a brief trip to Durban this winter Dexter will return to Kent to see out a few more months of the four-year residency period he requires to qualify for England Test selection.

At the other end 23-year-old Irishman O’Brien rode his luck. Dropped on four and 25 by Chris Read and Ryan Sidebottom respectively, the left-hander scored his 50 from 80 balls for his contribution to an attractive sixth wicket stand that doubled Kent’s score.

It was O’Brien’s second half-century of the summer, the fifth of his career and the second this season against Nottinghamshire.

After the day’s play Dexter said: "I really enjoyed it, I just set out to bat as long and as positively as I could.

"I’m not even going to think about a hundred yet, I’ll just bat on tomorrow and try and keep going the same way."

But at the start of the Kent innings there were no signs of the mid-afternoon collapse that was to follow.

Despite a groin injury that restricted the movements of opening bat Rob Key, Kent cantered to 66 without alarm but the controversial dismissal of skipper David Fulton set the hosts on the slide.

Squared up by a Mark Ealham slower ball, Fulton miscued his push toward extra cover where Russell Warren dived forward to claim a catch the replays clearly showed had bounced.

Six overs later Key, clearly hampered by the injury, hooked Ealham’s bouncer to long leg where Greg Smith pulled off a fine overhead catch.

The introduction of Graeme Swann at the Nackington Road End sent Kent further into decline when the former England and Northants spinner took three wickets for eight runs in the space of 14 balls.

Martin van Jaarsveld opened the face of his bat to a turning delivery only to edge to Chris Read then, next ball, Darren Stevens aimed an expansive drive only to be bowled through the gate as the ball spun sharply.

Dexter came in to survive the hat-trick ball but, in Swann’s next over, Matthew Walker padded up to a drifting arm-ball to go leg before and make it 108 for five.

* MARK PENNELL'S FINAL DAY REPORT WILL APPEAR HERE AT CLOSE OF PLAY.

SCORECARD

Nottinghamshire first innings

D J Bicknell b Cook 64
J E R Gallian run out (Dexter) 199
R J Warren lbw b Khan 8
S P Fleming c Saggers b Khan 1
D J Hussey c Dexter b Stevens 11
C M W Read c Fulton b Walker 75
M A Ealham c Khan b Saggers 72
G P Swann c O’Brien b Cook 23
R J Sidebottom not out 1
G J Smith not out 9
Extras 23

Total 486 for eight declared after 131.5 overs.

Fall of wicket: 1-157, 2-174,l 3-178, 4-194, 5-340, 6-420, 7-475, 8-477.

Bowling: Saggers 25.5-4-100-1, Khan 31-11-82-2, Cook 25-6-109-2, Dexter 10-1-55-0, Stevens 18-1-70-1, Patel 18-1-48-0, Walker 4-0-12-1.

Kent first innings

D P Fulton c Warren b Ealham 35
R W T Key c Smith b Ealham 43
M van Jaarsveld c Read b Swann 9
M J Walker lbw b Swann 11
D I Stevens b Swann 0
N J Dexter not out 79
N J O’Brien not out 56
Extras 4

Total 237 for five after 80 overs.

Fall of wicket: 1-66, 2-89, 3-99, 4-99, 5-108.

Bowling: Sidebottom 14-3-36-0, Harris 16-4-44-0, Swann 21-5-66-3, Smith 15-2-43-0, Ealham 14-2-44-2.