Kent lost by an innings and 85 runs

LEADING run-scorer Matthew Walker was the only player to offer more than token resistance as Kent capitulated to an innings and 85 run defeat to Nottinghamshire inside three days at Trent Bridge.

Having been dismissed for 251 and made to follow-on 245 in arrears, the visitors were rolled over for 160 inside 52 overs second time around as Nottinghamshire wrapped up the win just three balls after claiming the extra half-hour.

It was a tardy end to a scrappy match for Kent and only Walker, who passed the 1,000-run milestone for the season on Wednesday, came out of it with much credit.

The left-hander continued to accumulate the runs by posting the seventh half-century of a successful campaign and was top-scorer as the visitors first innings ended inside 81 overs.

The left-hander eventually fell for 65, after losing his overnight partner David Fulton (57) to the first ball of a rain-delayed third day when Andrew Harris plucked out the Kent opener’s off stump with a yorker.

Darren Stevens (15) then nicked a Mark Ealham away-swinger low to second slip and Geraint Jones scored one rasping boundary through cover point before prodding involuntarily away from his body to edge into the slip cordon off the bowling of Charlie Shreck.

Walker’s stay finally ended after four-and-a-quarter hours when home captain Stephen Fleming turned to ‘bodyline’ to break his resolve. Shreck bumped the ball in short and Walker, in fencing a lifting ball off his hip, picked out Graeme Swann at leg-gully.

Bravo then flailed wildly and edged to second slip as Kent lost five wickets in the morning session for 81 runs.

The collapse continued after lunch when Tyron Henderson (17), never the man for a defensive crisis, lofted a drive to deep cover then Min Patel (6) wafted outside off stump to edge to third slip and give Sidebottom his fourth victim.

Some 36 runs were still required to get Kent to a second batting bonus point, but a studious 30 from Simon Cook and a useful, unbeaten 12 at least achieved that before Ealham jagged one back off the seam to bowl Cook and end the innings on 251.

Fleming duly enforced the follow-on with 51 overs of the day left and with Kent trailing by 245.

The visitors lost another wicket before tea when Fulton followed a lifting leg-cutter from Andy Harris to snick to the keeper, but after the interval it was simply carnage.

Martin van Jaarsveld (10) was snared leg before by Sidebottom, who then had Key (31) caught behind off an edged back-foot force.

Stevens (2) steered a short one into the cordon then Walker (17), pushing half-forward, also went leg-before.

Having taken four for 53 earlier, Sidebottom soon improved his season’s best figures by bowling Henderson, who flailed and missed after scoring just eight to give Sidebottom five for 22.

Hardly surprisingly after such a lacklustre display by the top-order, the tail quickly subsided and Nottinghamshire ran out worthy winners with a day to spare.

SCORECARD

Nottinghamshire first innings

D J Bicknell c Jones b Bravo 19
W R Smith lbw b Henderson 3
D Alleyne lbw b Cook 8
S P Fleming c van Jaarsveld b Bravo 101
D J Hussey c van Jaarsveld b Cook 164
S R Patel c&b Stevens 27
M A Ealham c Stevens b Bravo 92
G P Swann c Stevens b Bravo 15
A J Harris c Key b Bravo 14
R J Sidebottom c Jones b Bravo 7
C Shreck not out 1

Extras 45

Total 496 all out after 130.1 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-11, 2-22, 3-61, 4-225, 5-298, 6-396, 7-427, 8-444, 9-478.

Bowling: Henderson 30-7-100-1, Cook 28-4-101-2, Joseph 17-0-80-0, Bravo 24.1-4-112-6, Stevens 13-4-25-1, Patel 17-1-64-0, Walker 1-1-0-0.

Kent first innings

D P Fulton b Harris 57
R W T Key lbw b Sidebottom 20
M van Jaarsveld c Alleyne b Sidebottom 2
M J Walker c Swann b Shreck 65
D I Stevens c Hussey b Ealham 15
G O Jones c Fleming b Shreck 4
D J Bravo c Hussey b Ealham 8
T Henderson c Smith b Sidebottom 17
S J Cook b Ealham 30
M M Patel c Ealham b Sidebottom 6
R H Joseph not out 12

Extras 15

Total 251 all out after 88.1 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-27, 2-43, 3-115, 4-150, 5-163, 6-180, 7-180, 8-209, 9-224.

Bowling: Sidebottom 25-9-53-4, Shreck 24-6-70-2, Harris 16-4-50-1, Ealham 17.1-4-54-3, Swann 2-0-6-0, Patel 4-1-11-0.

Kent second innings

D P Fulton c Alleyne b Harris 14
R W T Key c Alleyne b Sidebottom 31
M van Jaarsveld lbw b Sidebottom 10
M J Walker lbw b Sidebottom 17
D I Stevens c Hussey b Sidebottom 2
G O Jones lbw b Shreck 4
D J Bravo c Fleming b Harris 33
T Henderson b Sidebottom 8
S J Cook c Ealham b Shreck 0
M M Patel b Harris 17
R H Joseph not out 0

Extras 24

Total 160 all out after 51.3 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-33, 2-56, 3-77, 4-83, 5-35, 6-100, 7-109, 8-114, 9-151.

Bowling: Sidebottom 16-7-22-5, Shreck 13-1-70-2, Harris 12.3-3-40-3, Ealham 10-2-22-0.

Bonus points: Nottinghamshire 22pts, Kent 5pts.