Yorkshire: 312 for 5 after 104 overs

KENT’S threadbare bowling attack performed miracles in the opening 75 minutes of their four-day match with Yorkshire in Canterbury, but ultimately the sheer class of Darren Lehmann wrestled the initiative the way of the visitors.

Shorn of four potentially first choice bowlers through injury and hampered further by the late arrival of overseas star Andrew Hall, who was unable to play in the game, Kent bagged four white rose wickets in the opening 18 overs of the game.

Despite hazy conditions overhead Yorkshire skipper Craig White was soon regretting his decision to bat first as Justin Kemp and Simon Cook combined to remove their first two wickets.

In a stunning six over spell of two for two from the Nackington Road End, Cook twice found the outside edge to account for Joe Sayers and Anthony McGrath, both to low slip catches by Kemp, who rarely seems to drop one.

Kemp then replaced Robbie Joseph at the Pavilion End and struck with his sixth ball of the morning by trapping Matthew Wood leg before as the right-hander, slightly off balance, attempted to drive through mid-on.

The collapse gathered momentum in the 18th over when Michael Lumb fenced at a full-length swinging delivery from Neil Dexter and edged to Niall O’Brien, back behind the stumps to replace Geraint Jones who is on England duty.

At 34 for four White came in to dig his side out of a hole and, together with fellow Australian and his brother-in-law Lehmann, change the entire direction of the day as the pair posted a Yorkshire record fifth wicket stand against Kent of 229 in 71 overs.

White’s contribution was a studious 79 from 197 balls, it was never flash indeed it was quite unremarkable in that he only hit five boundaries, but the effect of the stand was profound as Kent’s injury-weakened attack got found out.

The duo strolled past the previous best of 185 by Geoff Boycott and Kevin Sharpe at Tunbridge Wells 22 years ago, with Lehmann batting like a master.

Prepared to go after the occasional full-length ball with wristy straight drives, he proved equally adept and letting the ball come on and use the bowler’s pace to deflect the ball into leg-side spaces.

When he bats as he did today it is hard to comprehend that Lehmann only won 27 baggy green caps and becomes clear as to why he has become one of Yorkshire’s favourite adopted sons.

He went into the season, his seventh at Headingley, with an incredible county average of 66.96 and after an early season century at Edgbaston and two half-centuries against Sussex the left-hander from Gawler in South Australia shows no signs of let up.

He lost White after tea when the former Test all-rounder allowed an off-cutter from Darren Stevens to squeeze between bat and pad and peg back off stump, but Lehmann churned on.

In bright evening sunshine Lehmann strolled back to the pavilion at stumps with 176 to his name, still wearing his sweater and seemingly having hardly broken sweat. Heaven help Kent if he starts taking things seriously come day two.

Earlier, Rob Key, back in the side after captaining England A to victory over the Sri Lankans, was unable to include Hall in his starting line up after Kent’s inability to get their star all-rounder on a flight into London.

Director of coaching Graham Ford spent all Monday evening and much of Tuesday trying to get Hall onto a re-scheduled flight but the effort were in vain.

That, together with injuries to Min Patel and James Tredwell, meant a season’s debut for Rob Ferley and allowed Dexter to retain his place in the side.

Kent: Key, Fulton, van Jaarsveld, Walker, Stevens, Kemp, Dexter, O’Brien, Ferley, Cook, Joseph.

SCORECARD

Yorkshire won toss and bat

Yorkshire first innings:

M J Wood lbw b Kemp 11
J J Sayers c Kemp b Cook 1
A McGrath c Kemp b Cook
M J Lumb c O’Brien b Dexter 3
D S Lehmann not out 176
C White b Stevens 79
T T Bresnan not out 10
Extras 27

Total 312 for five after 104 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-6, 2-18, 3-26, 4-34, 5-263,

Bowling: Joseph 20-4-67-0, Cook 21-6-54-2, Kemp 14-3-36-1, Dexter 15-2-44-1, Stevens 14-2-32-1, Ferley 14-3-42-0, Walker 6-1-17-0.

Bonus Points: Kent 1pt, Yorkshire 3pts.

* MARK PENNELL'S SECOND DAY REPORT WILL APPEAR HERE AT THE CLOSE OF PLAY TONIGHT.