Nottinghamshire 79 for one – trail by 521 runs

THOUGH struggling with a severe bout of hay-fever and only recently recovered from tonsillitis Kent’s Neil Dexter wore the broadest of smiles after scoring his maiden championship century against Nottinghamshire.

Making the best of this most placid of Canterbury pitches, 21-year-old Dexter hit an unbeaten 131 to help Kent to a mammoth 600 for six declared – their second highest total in Canterbury.

It was a cultured innings, though one that began with a slice of good luck after Dexter teamed up with Matthew Walker following the loss of night watchman Simon Cook (8) leg before and then Darren Stevens (7) to a rash drive.

With his score on seven and with Walker approaching a century, Dexter was called through for a rash third run and appeared to lose the race against David Alleyne’s throw from deep mid-wicket.

The right-hander from Johannesburg slid into the crease in a cloud of dust and received the benefit of the doubt from square-leg umpire Richard Kettleborough. Other than that, his innings was chanceless and pretty much flawless.

Scoring heavily off his legs, nine of his 15 fours were leg-side clips, but there were other shots all around the wicket including a straight six off David Hussey in an over the went for 23 runs.

In tandem with left-handed Walker, who moved cautiously on from his overnight 80, Dexter helped add 133 in 38 overs for the sixth wicket as Nottinghamshire’s bowlers struggled to extract any life from a docile pitch.

Though never at his fluent best Walker maintained concentration for seven-and-a-quarter hours in reaching a season’s best 141 with 20 fours.

The left-hander took one liberty too many when attempting a slog-sweep against off-spinner Graeme Swann and lost his off stump, but Swann hardly had cause for celebration as his sole success had cost a little matter of 152 runs.

Dexter, who qualifies for an English passport courtesy of a paternal grandfather born in Richmond, Surrey, ploughed on in partnership with Hall to take Kent to 600 by tea with a livelier partnership that added 134 in 22 overs through to the declaration.

Having fielded for five sessions, Nottinghamshire opener Jason Gallian lasted just 27 balls before heading back to the pavilion after edging a push shot against Cook to Martin van Jaarsveld at second slip.

Kent’s slip cordon were found wanting soon after though as Min Patel and then Darren Stevens both dropped chances from the outside edge of Darren Bicknell from the bowling of Cook and then Hall.

It proved the last of the action as Bicknell moved his score on by a further 21 runs through to stumps.

SCORECARD

Kent first innings

D P Fulton c Read b Sidebottom 65
R W T Key c Read b Ealham 31
M van Jaarsveld lbw b Shreck 108
M J Walker b Swann 141
S J Cook lbw b Sidebottom 8
D I Stevens c Smith b Shreck 7
N J Dexter not out 131
A J Hall not out 68

Extras 41

Total 600 for six declared after 176 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-72, 2-118, 3-305, 4-329, 5-534, 6-467.

Bowling: Sidebottom 32-10-76-2, Shreck 37-10-124-2, Smith 28-7-89-0, Ealham 29-3-97-1, Swann 46-7-152-1, Hussey 4-0-35-0

Nottinghamshire first innings

D J Bicknell not out 44
J E R Gallian c van Jaarsveld b Cook 7
D Alleyne not out 27

Extras 1

Total 79 for one after 32 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-20,

Bowling: Khan 9-6-8-0, Hall 8-1-33-0, Cook 7-2-21-1, Patel 6-0-15-0, Walker 2-1-1-0.

Bonus points: Kent 4pts Nottinghamshire 1pt.