County Championship: Durham battle Kent on day two

Durham were struggling against Kent at 173-5, still 350 behind, when rain forced an early end to the second day of their County Championship match at Beckenham.

After Durham started the second day with three wickets for four runs in the first two overs, Kent’s Ekash Singh scored an unbeaten 66 to help Kent post 523 all out. However, Keith Dudgeon scored a century to restore momentum for Kent.

Matthew Potts took 6-92 and claimed his 300th first-class wicket, but Matt Milnes and Ekansy took two wickets each to leave the Division Two leaders 200 shy of the follow-on at stumps. Milnes bowled new England opener Emilio Gay for a wicket, leaving David Bedingham and Ben Stokes unbeaten on 77 and 8 respectively.

Kent were 385-4 overnight, but Durham made an almost perfect start to day two.

Raine struck in the first over, bowling Ben Dawkins, who failed to add 180 to his nightly score.

Potts then had Chris Benjamin caught by Casey Aldridge for seven at second slip and Milnes went for four, caught by Alex Lees at third, before the hosts replied for 108.

Ekash was on 44 when he miscued an uppercut off Stokes and was caught by Gay, only for the umpire to signal a no ball. He benefited from driving Callum Parkinson for a single to reach his fifty, but broke the Durham partnership in the last over before lunch when Dudgeon scored 44, top-edging Potts to Ollie Robinson, leaving Kent on 497-8.

James Taylor made it 10 before bowling Potts to David Bedingham, allowing Callum Parkinson to bowl to his twin Matt – who failed to get a run off 12 deliveries from his brother.

Ekshan hit Callum Parkinson for a six, before Matt Parkinson was last out, sending Potts to Bedingham.

Durham’s reply got off to a rough start when Gay cut Milnes to his middle stump.

Lees was lbw with one ball for 31, then Will Rhodes was caught by Dudgeon for 19. Rhodes was a sub for Ben McKinney, who hurt his ankle in net.

When Graham Clarke went down to Dudgeon for five, Durham were 88-4 and former Kent wicket-keeper Ollie Robinson came on ahead of Stokes, who had been feeling unwell on the first day.

Bedingham pulled one for six and then punched Dudgeon for four through the covers to reach fifty, steering Durham to 121-4 at tea, but with the light deteriorating at the interval, Kent were told they would have to bowl their spinners.

Tawanda Muye found Bedingham’s edge, but the ball hit Benjamin’s shoulder and ballooned to safety.

As the light improved, Robinson chased a wide off Milnes for 27, but rain started at 17:40 BST and play was abandoned with 15.3 overs remaining.