A BIGGEST crowd of this year’s Tunbridge Wells Festival Week revelled in sunshine and runs galore as Kent grabbed the initiative over injury-hit Surrey.

Over 3,500 supporters packed the leafy surrounds of The Nevill to watch Rob Key and Martin van Jaarsveld re-write the county record books and ease their side into the box seat in this game.

The pair added 323 in 252 minutes to break Kent’s previous best championship stand for the third wicket of 321 set by Alec Hearne and Jack Mason in Nottingham back in 1899.

Shorn of the injured Martin Bicknell (cut foot) and Rikki Clarke (hamstring) the visiting bowling attack, still stunned by today’s eight-point penalty imposed by the ECB for ball tampering earlier this month, proved little more than cannon fodder at the hands of Kent’s third wicket partners.

Key, who scored 112 here in the first innings, clearly loves batting against Surrey. He scored 189 from 285 balls second time around for his fourth century against the brown hatters, while taking his aggregate to 977 in 16 championship innings at an average of 61.

At the other end, van Jaarsveld put an end to his run of three ducks with a stylish 168 with 21 fours as Surrey continued to toil on the hottest day of the summer to date.

The pair fell within three overs of each other to understandably tired shots, Key chased down the pitch to miss an attempted lofted drive, then van Jaarsveld’s weary drive allowed James Benning to peg back his off stump.

Matt Walker (32 not out) and Justin Kemp (28 not out) took Kent’s lead beyond 400 and drew the declaration from skipper David Fulton shortly after 6pm.

To their credit and having been set 406 to win, Surrey batted out the last seven overs of the day to go into the fourth and final day on 11 without loss.

SCORECARD

Kent first innings

D P Fulton lbw b Bicknell 45
R W T Key c Newman b Benning 112
M van Jaarsveld lbw b Bicknell 0
M J Walker b Bicknell 0
D I Stevens c Batty b Bicknell 1
J Kemp c Ramprakash b Benning 3
A J Hall c Ramprakash b Doshi 61
N J O’Brien lbw b Benning 1
S J Cook b Doshi 5
M M Patel c Clarke b Doshi 3
M J Saggers not out 5
Extras 26

Total 262 all out after 92.4 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-112, 2-112, 3-114, 4-118, 5-129, 6-229, 7-233, 8-245, 9-251.

Bowling: Bicknell 24-10-31-4, Akram 20-6-51-0, Doshi 13.4-1-58-3, Clarke 12-2-45-0, Benning 16-1-57-3, Salisbury 7-2-16-0.

Surrey first innings

S A Newman st O’Brien b Patel 21
R S Clinton not out 15
M R Ramprakash c van Jaarsveld b Patel 4
R Clarke c Cook b Patel 124
J N Batty c O’Brien b Patel 34
A D Brown c Hall b Stevens 56
J G E Benning lbw b Patel 14
M P E Bicknell b Patel 2
I D K Salibury c O’Brien b Stevens 3
N D Doshi c Key b Stevens 16
M Akram not out 1
Extras 16

Total 324 all out after 91 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-57, 2-65, 3-67, 4-166, 5-273, 6-299, 7-302, 8-305, 9-323.

Bowling: Saggers 18-3-53-1, Hall 10-0-40-0, Cook 9-0-48-0, Patel 38-5-124-6, Kemp 3-024-0, 13-4-22-3.

Kent second innings

D P Fulton c Benning b Akram 18
R W T Key st Batty b Doshi 189
M J Saggers c Clarke b Bicknell 19
M van Jaarsveld b Benning 168
J Kemp not out 28
M J Walker not out 32
Extras 13

Total 467 for four declared after 113 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-36, 2-80, 3-403, 4-407.

Bowling: Bicknell 17.4-3-74-1, Akram 17.2-3-55-1, Doshi 31-1-124-1, Salisbury 19-1-85-0, Benning 23-2-94-1, Clinton 5-1-23-0.

Surrey second innings

S A Newman not out 6
R S Clinton not out 5

Total 11 without loss