County Championship: Kent batters edge Middlesex’s bowlers on day one

Rothesay County Championship, Division Two, St Lawrence Floor, Canterbury (day one)

Kent 356-7: Benjamin 70, Compton 53, Dawkins 50; Morgan 4-90, Helm 3-63, Morgan 2-66

Middlesex: But to bat

Bonus factors: Kent 3pts, Middlesex 2pts

Match scorecard

Chris Benjamin hit 70 as Kent reached 356-7 at stumps on day one in all their County Championship recreation with Middlesex at Canterbury.

Ben Compton and Ben Dawkins additionally hit half-centuries, making 53 and 50 respectively, as Kent benefited from a collection of partnerships.

The hosts didn’t have issues all their very own approach nonetheless, and have been saved in examine.

For Middlesex, Seb Morgan took 4-90, and Tom Helm claimed 3-63 to stay within the contest.

The 174th Canterbury Competition bought beneath approach in entrance of a crowd of two,628, swelled by over 1,000 schoolchildren. They witnessed a gap session for the purists, with Kent selecting to bat and inching to 64 with out loss at lunch.

There was loads of motion, and whereas little of it troubled the batters, it took 39 minutes earlier than the primary boundary, from Dawkins.

Dawkins had nudged his method to 50 quickly after the resumption, edging Morgan for 4, when he went to the identical bowler, caught by Max Holden off a forefront.

Helm subsequently bought each Compton and Daniel Bell-Drummond caught behind, the latter for 5 after an athletic seize by Joe Cracknell.

He then bowled Sam Northeast for 42 with one which reduce and bent his off- stump backwards, placing Middlesex in a far happier temper at tea, when it was 202-4.

Kent responded with one other half-century stand, however this was damaged when Morgan had Ekansh Singh caught behind for 17.

Benjamin lower Zafar via backward level to achieve his 50 and Grant Stewart survived a dicey opening spell to dump Naavya Sharma for six over midwicket.

Their partnership, value 64, was damaged when Morgan had Benjamin caught behind and Stewart was two shy of his half-century when Morgan bowled him off stump, however Keith Dudgeon and Matt Milnes added some helpful runs, steering Kent to a 3rd batting level shortly earlier than stumps.

Report by ECB Reporters’ Community, supported by Rothesay.