Kent (235 all out and 44-2) bat out final day to draw in County Championship Division 1 with Somerset (404-4 declared)

Kent took six LV= Insurance County Championship Division 1 points back to Canterbury as they batted out the final day to draw with Somerset at Taunton on Friday.

The visitors were bowled out for 235 after Somerset had declared on their first-innings total on an overnight 404-4, Joe Denly making a priceless 73 to guide his side from a perilous 31-4.

Skipper Tom Abell was the pick of the home bowling attack with 4-52 while Lewis Gregory claimed 3-49.

Trailing by 169 and faced with a possible 41 overs in their second innings, Kent made a better fist of things and were 44-2 when the players shook hands at 4.30pm. They took six points from the game in their battle for survival, Somerset claiming 12.

A declaration offered the hosts their only chance of winning - and it soon looked more than an outside bet as Kent lost four wickets in the first 10.3 overs of the day, Gregory taking three of them.

Gregory had Ben Compton caught behind pushing forward, Daniel Bell-Drummond pouched at mid-wicket off a full toss and Jack Leaning leg-before in a seven-over opening spell of 3-30 that included four no-balls.

Jack Brooks (1-33), on his final Somerset appearance, weighed in with the wicket of Tawanda Muyeye, well caught low down by Andy Umeed at second slip, and there was clear evidence of help for the seamers in a pitch which retained a tinge of greenness.

The visitors’ need for batting points saw them bat positively in adversity, aided by an unusually wayward three overs from Neil Wagner (1-58), which cost 32 runs, mainly due to over-pitching.

Denly and Harry Finch added 54 in 10.1 overs before the latter nicked a drive off seamer Abell through to wicketkeeper James Rew.

Denly was severe on anything around half-volley length,