Yorkshire v Kent

JOE DENLY posted his second championship hundred of the summer to help Kent force the pace against LV Division 1 leaders Yorkshire by adding 208 in 49 overs on another rain-affected day in Scarborough.

The 21-year-old England Lions' batsman steered a back-foot cut through backward point off Adil Rashid to post his hundred but was out in the final over before lunch as Kent raced to 343 for five before the rain arrived.

Left-hander James Tredwell became Thursday's first casualty in the sixth over of the day when, after adding four to his overnight score, he was trapped on the crease playing around a full-length Darren Gough in-swinger to go leg before for 44.

The dismissal ended a decent third wicket stand between Tredwell and Denly that added 83 in 26 overs and brought Darren Stevens to the crease.

One of the few Kent batsmen to fail in last week's game with Warwickshire, Stevens got underway by edging his first delivery from Gough through a vacant third slip position for four to third man.

Gough went off after a five over stint of one for 13, leaving Stevens to happily play himself in against the military medium-pacers of Anthony McGrath, who he straight drove for four, then Rashid was swept for four and straight driven for six in successive balls - the first clearance over the ropes in the match.

Stevens repeated the dose in Rashid's next over with a six out of the ground and into the back gardens of the terraced houses in Woodall Avenue forcing the umpires to replace the ball.

Having leaked 22 runs in 12 balls, Rashid was replaced by fellow leg-spinner Mark Lawson who Stevens also tucked into, slog-sweeping for four and then cutting for two to raise his 51-ball half-century for his part in a stand of 66 with Denly, who was getting little or no strike.

Stevens continued to crack on with a six over cover off Lawson but, with his score on 87 from 84 balls, he aimed to sweep a Rashid full-toss only to be hit on the boot and given leg before to end a superb stand of 112 in 24 overs.

Rashid struck again in the 35th and last over of the morning when Denly, on 114 from 212 balls and with 12 fours, drove over a googly to lose his off stump.

Kent moved on at pace again after lunch as Neil Dexter moved to within four of a half-century and Geraint Jones chipped in with a fluent 14 with some crisp cover drives before rain arrived at 2.45pm to wash out the remainder of the day with the loss of another 55 overs out of the game.

Scorecard

Kent first innings

R W T Key c Brophy b Bresnan 21
J L Denly b Rashid 114
M van Jaarsveld c Brophy b Bresnan 5
J C Tredwell lbw b Gough 44
D I Stevens lbw Rashid 87
N J Dexter not out 46
G O Jones not out 14
Extras12

Total 343 for five after 90.3 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-56, 2-66, 3-149, 4-263, 5-294.

Bowling: Gough 20.3-5-59-1, Gillespie 16-4-43-0, Rashid 14-0-74-2, Bresnan 23-4-79-2, McGrath 7-3-10-0, Lawson 6-0-49-0, Khan 4-0-21-0.

Bonus points: Yorkshire 1pt, Kent 3pts.