Another disappointing first day has left relegation-threatened Kent with a mountain to climb in their County Championship Division 1 game against Essex at Chelmsford.
The hosts, steered by opening batsman Sir Alastair Cook, put themselves into a commanding position by the end of Wednesday’s play, with Essex 106-0 after the visitors had been bowled all out for 207 in two short sessions.
Only a sedate 58-run fourth-wicket partnership between Ben Compton, who recorded an 81-ball 47, and captain Jack Leaning (27) interrupted a regular clatter of wickets, with nagging seamers Sam Cook (3-19) and Jamie Porter (3-47) sharing six of them equally.
Kent batsman Tawanda Muyeye survived a decent chance to Matt Critchley at third slip before he was beaten for pace to present Cook with his first on 21.
Next ball, Joe Denly’s miserable campaign continued when he played down the wrong line and was caught behind for his fourth duck of the season.
To compound Kent’s problems, Harry Finch faced 15 deliveries without scoring and then set off for a non-existent single to gully where Paul Walter swooped and hit the single stump he could see.
Compton and Leaning settled in for a stand that needed 17 overs to put on 50 and saw Compton hit Doug Bracewell (1-42) for three successive boundaries, two through the covers, the other a flick off his legs.
However, from the last ball before lunch, Compton attempted to dig out a fuller delivery from Simon Harmer (1-73) and only succeeded in chipping the ball back tamely to the bowler.
Leaning followed soon after lunch when he got a thick edge to one from Cook which went away from him and wicketkeeper Adam Rossington took a fine diving catch to his right. Joey Evison went shouldering arms to one that came
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