Kent come close to record fifth-wicket partnership as Darren Stevens and South African George Linde put on 264 against Sri Lanka Development XI

Kent came close to breaking a record fifth-wicket partnership which has stood for nearly 100 years on the opening day of their first-class match against a Sri Lanka Development XI on Friday.

All-rounders Darren Stevens and South African George Linde put on 264 to take the side from 95-4 to end the first day of the four-day game 418-6 as Stevens was bowled by Udith Madushan (2-75) for a swashbuckling 168.

On his home debut, there was a maiden Kent ton for Linde in Canterbury, too. He was caught off the bowling of spinner Ashen Bandara for a classy 107.

Their partnership was just 13 short of the Kent record which is held by Frank Woolley and Les Ames who put on a 277-run partnership against a New Zealand side in 1931.

Stevens’ knock also saw the 46-year-old move past 13,000 first-class runs for Kent with the innings including 29 boundaries - 24 fours and five sixes.

He returned to the team after he had missed last week’s County Championship draw against Yorkshire to make his 34th Kent first-class ton.

Explaining why he had not been involved at Headingley, Kent head coach Matt Walker, who described Stevens as “this sort of incredible human being that just keeps going on”, said he had not looked his usual sharp self with the ball at the start of the season after a pre-season hamstring problem.

“We expect Darren to come back and push to get back into the team,” he said, speaking before the start of the Sri Lanka game.

“But sometimes, you just have to look at it objectively and think ‘What are the best four seamers for this next game?’ We know what Darren has done over the years, how good he is, but he’s not quite seemed his usual sparky self.

“I think he’s found it tough these last three weeks, bowling on those wickets, and I