Kent v Warwickshire

KENT were robbed of victory by the rain as Monday's LV Championship match with Warwickshire was abandoned as a draw with Kent just three wickets away from wrapping up a deserved win.

Showers arrived during the lunch interval with Warwickshire, following on and deep in trouble at 268 for seven - still 176 short of making Kent bat again.

But the rain got heavier and by 4.45pm match umpires Vanburn Holder and George Sharp had no option but to call the game off.

Rob Key, hampered by the absence of Yasir Arafat with a side strain, rang the bowling changes throughout an overcast and damp morning session, but Kent could only make two breakthroughs.

Having taken the second new ball after one over, Kent's first chance of the day came 17 overs later when left-hander Jim Troughton, hampered by back spasms, played back when he might have gone forward and edged behind only to see Geraint Jones down a diving, one-handed chance to his left.

Only five runs on, Troughton's luck ran out when he pushed at an Andrew Hall off-cutter, found an inside edge which Jones this time snaffled diving to his right to make it 235 for six.

Bears' skipper Darren Maddy was proving more determined, however, and failed to offer a chance in moving to 148 by lunch.

His only false shot came with an attempted pull shot against Hall that hit his gloves, only to balloon and bounce to safety in the un-manned fine leg region.

But four balls before the scheduled interval Naqaash Tahir went back to a flat James Tredwell arm-ball to go leg before for only six.

Kent now travel to Scarborough for Wednesday's next LV Championship game against long-term leaders Yorkshire.

With doubts over the fitness of Yasir Arafat (side strain), Martin Saggers is added to the squad while Neil Dexter continues to deputise for Matt Walker (calf strain).

Kent squad for Yorkshire: Key, Denly, van Jaasrsveld, Dexter, Stevens, Jones, Hall, Arafat, McLaren, Tredwell, Cook, Saggers.

SCORECARD

Kent first innings

J L Denly c Ambrose b Tahir 36
R W T Key c Loudon b Groenwald 25
M van Jaarsveld c Maddy b Trott 117
J C Tredwell lbw b Carter 11
D I Stevens c Ambrose b Tahir 6
N J Dexter c Carter b Trott 86
G O Jones c sub (Anyon) b Harris 105
A J Hall run out (Troughon) 2
Yasir Arafat not out 101
R McLaren b Carter 21
S J Cook not out 0
Extras 40

Total 550 for nine declared after 156 overs.

Fall of wicket: 1-49, 2-89, 3-106, 4-120, 5-292, 6-307, 7-317, 8-494, 9-543.

Bowling: Carter 30-3-110-2, Daggett 20-6-62-0, Tahir 26-5-78-2, Groenewald 21-4-81-1, Harris 29-5-95-1, Maddy 10-5-13-0, Trott 12-4-33-2, Loudon 8-0-57-0.

Warwickshire first innings

I J Westwood c Jones b Tredwell 15
D L Maddy c Tredwell b McLaren 23P L Harris c Jones b McLaren 4
I J Trott lbw b Cook 0
J O Troughton b McLaren 5
A G R Loudon c Jones b McLaren 4
T D Ambrose c Hall b Stevens 13
T D Groenewald b McLaren 0
N Tahir c McLaren b Hall 12
N M Carter c Arafat b Stevens 2
L M Daggett not out 6
Extras 23

Total 107 all out after 36.3 overs.

Fall of wicket: 1-41, 2-43, 3-49, 4-51, 5-61, 6-70, 7-82, 8-91, 9-95.

Bowling: Yasir Arafat 4-1-13-0, Hall 8-1-37-1, Cook 9-2-19-1, McLaren 11-4-24-5, Tredwell 1-1-0-1.

Warwickshire second innings

I J Westwood c Jones b McLaren 47
D L Maddy not out 148
I J L Trott c Jones b McLaren 0
A G R Loudon c Hall b McLaren 0
T R Ambrose c Dexter b Tredwell 8
T D Groenewald b Tredwell 3
J O Troughton c Jones b Hall 31
N Tahir lbw b Tredwell 6
Extras 25

Total 268 for seven after 109 overs.

Fall of wicket: 1-122, 2-124, 3-124, 4-141, 5-145, 6-235, 7-268.

Bowling: McLaren 23-6-46-3, Hall 20-2-73-1, Tredwell 34.2-13-64-3, Cook 19-4-60-0, Stevens 7-3-8-0, van Jaarsveld 4-2-5-0, Denly 2-2-0-0.

Bonus points: Kent 12pts Warwickshire 6pts.