Unbeaten half-centuries by Daniel Bell-Drummond and Tom Latham saw Kent defeat Glamorgan by ten wickets shortly after lunch on the final day of their Specsavers County Championship match against at Canterbury. (writes Andrew Hignell).
Close of Play Report
Kent needed a further 45 runs to win when play resumed after lunch with the home side on the verge of recording their first-ever ten-wicket victory in Championship cricket over Glamorgan at Canterbury. Harry Podmore and David Lloyd resumed the bowling duties with the former being edged through a vacant third slip position by Latham as the Kiwi brought up the 150.
Bell-Drummond also scythed Lloyd to third man before Latham pulled a long-hop from yesterday’s centurion. Andrew Salter had another spell as Kent closed in on their target whilst Latham tucked in on a short ball from Lloyd, swatting him over extra cover for four. Shortly afterwards, Bell-Drummond followed suit before he steered Podmore for successive boundaries as Kent emulated their feat at Swansea in 1961 and at Sophia Gardens in 2005 by defeating Glamorgan by ten wickets.
Lunch Report
Yesterday was a red letter day for David Lloyd as he struck his maiden Championship hundred and in the process became only the third North Walian-born batsman – after Wilf Wooller and Geoff Ellis – to score a century in a County Championship match for Glamorgan. The last time this feat was achieved was in 1974 when the Llandudno-born Ellis made 116 against Middlesex at Sophia Gardens, and the all-rounder from St.Asaph also entered the Club’s record books yesterday as together with fellow centurion Graham Wagg he shared a sixth wicket stand of 215 in 38.2 overs – Glamorgan’s best –ever for that wicket against Kent – as the side rallied after being outplayed during the first two days of this contest.
Their efforts helped Glamorgan to 414 to leave Kent a target of 187, and by the close last night, Daniel Bell-Drummond and Tom Latham had made 22/0. Michael Hogan and Craig Meschede resumed the bowling, eager to make early inroads, but Latham unfurled a high-class cover drive for four in the opening over before deftly nurdling the Australian to the vacant third man position. Bell-Drummond also secured successive boundaries through third man against Hogan as the fifty stand came up in the 15th over.
Graham Wagg and Andrew Salter then had a spell in tandem as Kent’s opening pair continued to garner one’s and two’s, with Latham also drilling Wagg straight back over his head for four before twice cover driving the left-armer. Bell-Drummond also clipped Wagg to fine-leg. Harry Podmore duly replaced Wagg and was drilled through mid-off by Latham as the century stand came up in the 27th over as for the first time since 1954 Kent’s openers had shared a century stand in each innings of a Championship match.
Bell-Drummond then rached fifty with a coruscating cover drive against Podmore – his 89th delivery – before Latham completed his fifty by straight driving Salter – his 96th delivery.-before David LLoyd had a trundle at the Nackington Road End shortly before the interval. Latham added another boundary to his tally as he swept Salter for four in the penultimate over of the session.