It took Kent seventeen overs this morning to complete a victory by an innings and 172 runs in their Specsavers County Championship match against Glamorgan at Canterbury as the Welsh county were dismissed for 78 in 30.2 overs, with Darren Stevens taking 5/24.
Morning update
The Spitfires St. Lawrence has been a happy hunting ground for the Welsh county with Sunday League title wins in 1993 and 2002 plus success in floodlit encounters with pink and white balls. The Canterbury Tale of 2018 however is very different with Kent firmly holding the upper hand and the champagne on ice, ready to celebrate a promotion-clinching victory against a side who start day three with just six wickets remaining and still 217 runs in arrears after Zac Crawley’s career-best 168 and Sam Billings’ highest score in Championship cricket for two years had seen Kent secure maximum bonus points.
With the evergreen Darren Stevens finding away swing last evening with the new ball and Matt Henry taking his tally of first-class wickets to 70, Glamorgan resumed this morning on 33/4 with Jack Murphy being joined by Jeremy Lawlor. The latter guided Henry through point for three but next over – and to the ninth ball of the day – the young batsman edged a delivery from Stevens into Stevens’ gloves.
36/5 saw Chris Cooke join Murphy and the new batsman drove Henry to square-leg and mid-off, but he became another victim for the Stevens-Billings combination as he edged a rising delivery into the wicket-keeper’s gloves with the Welsh county on 42/6. Craig Meschede announced his arrival by cover-driving Stevens but he then had his stumps re-arranged in Henry’s next over as Glamorgan slipped further to 45/7 with Ruaidhri Smith joining Murphy, who guided Stevens through fourth slip for four as Glamorgan surpassed their lowest-ever total in Championship cricket against Kent which remains the 46 they made at Sophia Gardens in 1979.
Smith drove Henry to the ropes at square-leg before flaying him through backward point for another four. However, the Kiwi made the perfect riposte as next ball Billings pouched another catch diving low to his right. Timm van der Gugten clipped Henry for two to mid-wicket and then for four through extra-cover but next ball he was bowled by Henry. Michael Hogan then off-drove Stevens for four before next over driving the veteran to extra-cover where Joe Denly took a fine one-handed catch above his head, as Glamorgan were dismissed for 78, leaving Jack Murphy unbeaten on 22.