THE end of season sale started in Kent’s club shop this week and wickets were seemingly given up just as cheaply as the bargains when 16 batsmen fell on day two of their clash with top-of-the-table Sussex.

On a fairly benign St Lawrence pitch the visitors conspired to lose eight wickets in just under three hours to succumb for 289 and a modest first-innings lead of 48.

But by stumps, Kent had slumped to 186 for eight to go into day three staring down the barrel of defeat to the title favourites.

Once again wrist spinner Mushtaq Ahmed proved Kent’s nemesis as the Pakistan wizard followed his six for 58 return in the first innings with a second six-wicket haul that took his season’s tally to 88.

Despite their injury woes Kent made a bright start to the day as Sussex resumed on 102 for two.

Murray Goodwin had just celebrated his half-century when Simon Cook ran one away off the seam to square up the right-hander and take the edge through to Geraint Jones.

Then, two balls later, Robbie Joseph shaped one away from Chris Nash who edged an airy drive through to Jones.

After a fifth-wicket stand of 85 runs in just 20 overs skipper Chris Adams lost his partner Matt Prior after a reckless lofted drive against James Tredwell that picked out Darren Stevens running in from long-on.

Adams eased to a half-century from 61 balls and with eight fours but, in his next over, Tredwell had Robin Martin-Jenkins caught by Matt Walker at silly point, though the batsman was clearly unhappy with the decision.

In the last over before lunch and just two deliveries from the interval Yasir Arafat, after hitting a chancy 18, padded up to Tredwell and became the third leg before victim of the innings.

Their collapse continued after lunch when Adams chased a wide one to go for a top-scoring 75 and the tail soon followed.

Robbie Joseph claimed the fourth five-wicket haul by a Kent bowler this summer and James Tredwell bagged four as Sussex matched Kent’s poor shot selection of the opening day.

Kent batted again by 2pm but the fall of wickets continued nonetheless.

Home openers David Fulton and Rob Key fell before the arrears had been wiped out when Key edged to the keeper and Fulton top-edged a pull to mid-on.

Key was clearly unhappy with his decision and looked back to the middle four times as he sidled off, but umpires Allan Jones and Michael Harris said they would not be taking further action against the Kent skipper.

To make matters worse Kent then lost their first innings century-maker Martin van Jaarsveld soon after, he was smartly stumped by Matt Prior after being lured down the pitch Ahmed.

Normal service was resumed thereafter as Darren Stevens, in dire need of runs, and Matt Walker joined forces to add 82 in 20 overs before the wheels came off again.

Having just reached his third half-century of the summer from 67 balls Stevens dragged his foot when aiming to drive at Mushtaq allowing Prior to whip off the bails.

Leading scorer Matt Walker again top-scored with 66 in three hours, but no one seemed willing to stay with him.

Geraint Jones’s attempt to drive Mushtaq over the top ended with him miscuing to wide mid-off, then James Tredwell padded up to go leg before.

With three overs of the day remaining Simon Cook miscued to mid-off to give Mushtaq his 12th victim of the game and send the hosts into the third day with a slender lead of 138.

SCORECARD

Kent first innings

D P Fulton lbw b Lewry 3
R W T Key lbw b Lewry 15
M van Jaarsveld c Goodwin b Ahmed 116
M J Walker st Prior b Ahmed 48
D I Stevens c Adams b Ahmed 24
G O Jones lbw Ahmed 1
N J Dexter b Yasir Arafat 0
J C Tredwell not out 2
T Henderson b Ahmed 2
S J Cook c Adams b Ahmed 2
R H Joseph lbw b Arafat 1

Extras 26

Total 241 all out after 69.1 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-10, 2-27, 3-176, 4-215, 5-221, 6-222, 7-230, 8-234, 9-240

Bowling: Lewry 15-1-38-2, Kirtley 11-1-43-0, Arafat 15.1-1-85-2, Martin Jenkins 6-2-12-0, Mushtaq 22-6-58-6.

Sussex first innings

R R Montgomerie lbw b Joseph 1
C D Hopkinson lbw b Joseph 3
C D Nash c Jones b Joseph 42
M W Goodwin c Jones b Cook 51
C J Adams not out 0
M J Prior c Stevens b Tredwell 30
R S Martin-Jenkins c Walker b Tredwell 0
Yasir Arafat lbw b Tredwell 18
Mushtaq Ahmed not out 25
R J Kirtley c Fulton b Tredwell 0
J D Lewry b Joseph 2

Extras 42

Total 289 all out after 72.2. overs

Fall of wicket: 1-2, 2-5, 3-116, 4-116, 5-201, 6-216, 7-253, 8-265, 9-270

Bowling: Cook 18-4-60-1, Joseph 17.2-4-57-5, Dexter 6-0-25-0, Stevens 15-1-48-0, Tredwell 16-0-84-4.

Kent second innings

D P Fulton c Adams b Kirtley 6
R W T Key c Prior b Kirtley 0
M van Jaarsveld st Prior b Ahmed 9
M J Walker st Prior b Ahmed 66
D I Stevens st Prior b Ahmed 54
G O Jones c Arafat b Ahmed 4
J C Tredwell lbw b Ahmed 15
N J Dexter not out 14
S J Cook c Lewry b Ahmed 2
R H Joseph not out 2

Extras 14

Total 186 for eight after 63 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-5, 2-15, 3-29, 4-111, 5-119, 6-154, 7-180, 8-182

Bowling: Lewry 14-1-29-0, Kirtley 12-3-24-2, Mushtaq Ahmed 26-2-71-6, Martin-Jenkins 1-0-9-0, Yasir Arafat 9-0-31-0, Nash 1-0-9-0.

Bonus points: Kent 4pts, Sussex 5pts.

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