Kent (186 & 40-2) trail Middlesex (229) by three runs at Lord’s in County Championship after Zak Crawley scores golden duck

Kent almost wiped out a first-innings deficit before bad light ended play four overs early at Lord’s on day two.

The visitors reached 40-2, a deficit of just three, having bowled out Middlesex for 229 in their LV= County Championship Division 1 clash. Kent were bowled out before lunch for 186.

Resuming on 113-6, Ben Compton and Grant Stewart initially prospered against bowling which lacked the miserly quality of 24 hours previously.

Compton nicked one between slip and gully to reach an obdurate half-century from 165 balls and shortly afterwards four leg byes raised a precious 50 stand for the seventh wicket. However, Compton (52) departed to the very next ball, an attempted pull shot – out of keeping with the rest of his watchful vigil – ending up in the gloves of wicketkeeper John Simpson.

While wickets fell at the other end – Matt Quinn made 11 and Wes Agar seven - Stewart went into all-out attack mode. The Kent man has history of such heroics against Middlesex, his blistering career-best of 103 having come in Kent’s 342-run pink ball thrashing at Canterbury five years ago.

Stewart wouldn’t reach those heights, but he lofted one offering from Ethan Bamber (4-42) into the Tavern Stand before smiting another blow over the short boundary on the leg side.

It took a catch in a million to see the back of him for a 50-ball 44, Tom Helm somehow clinging on one-handed to a steepling, swirling top edge which found its way to fine third man.

Middlesex;s reply began with a flurry of boundaries, Mark Stoneman square driving and then cutting wide balls from Agar to the point fence in the first over. Sam Robson caught the mood, driving a trio of balls from Michael Hogan through cover and mid-off.

It would prove a false dawn as