Evening Report
Resuming after tea on 176/8, Timm van der Gugten used the long handle to plunder four runs to long-on as Joe Denly continued at the Nackington Road End whilst Matt Henry returned at the Pavilion End and was pulled for four by Murphy. But in the third over of the session van der Gugten edged Denly to slip before next over Murphy’s innings ended as he lofted Henry into the hands of long-on.
There were 26 overs remaining for Kent to negotiate as van der Gugten and Hogan shared the new ball, with Zak Crawley punching the latter through cover for the first boundary followed by a thick edge to third man for a second and a firm drive through mid-off for a third. Crawley added a fourth as he clipped van der Gugten through wide mid-on before repeating the shot two overs later to the ropes at deep square-leg.
But with the total on 28 Dickson edged the Dutchman into the slips where Stephen Cook completed a fine catch tumbling low to his left at first slip. With Joe Denly as his new partner, Crawley clipped Hogan to the ropes at backward square-leg for three before drilling van der Gugten through mid-on as the floodlights came on at the Spitfire St. Lawrence ground. Denly began by cover driving van der Gugten before doing the same to Ruaidhri Smith.
Crawley also pulled van der Gugten for four before flaying him through point. He then reached his fifty from 62 balls by driving Craig Meschede through mid-off for four before Denly did the same to Smith twice in an over as the pair continued to consolidate Kent’s assertive position. Kieran Bull had a spell shortly before the close at the Pavilion End, and with his tenth delivery he had Denly caught behind by Cooke. Harry Podmore came in as nightwatchman and saw Kent to close, and given the dry and grassless nature of the surface, Bull may have plenty of action on subsequent days.
Afternoon Update
Craig Meschede joined Jack Murphy for the start of the post-lunch session, with the all-rounder opening his account by driving Grant Stewart through mid-wicket and backward point to see Glamorgan into three figures. He added further fours to his tally by cover-driving and leg-glancing Darren Stevens but with the total on 110 he edged Stewart to third slip.
Ruaidhri Smith joined Murphy who in the match earlier in the summer at Cardiff had carried his bat for 39, and he continued to defy the home attack by glancing Stevens to fine-leg. After being beaten outside off stump several times by Stevens, Smith off-drove successive balls from the veteran with assurance to the boards in front of the pavilion.
After surviving a run-out chance after a mix-up in calling, Smith carved Stevens over the slips before Matt Henry returned to the attack and was clipped to fine-leg by Murphy who completed his fifty from 111 balls. Harry Podmore also had another salvo at the Nackington Road End and was on-driven by Smith before Murphy completed his career-best Championship score by nurdling the seamer to the vacant third man position.
He celebrated with another crisply-struck on-drive for four against Podmore but with the total on 152 Stevens returned at the Pavilion End and removed Smith who miscued a drive and was well caught by Henry running back at mid-off. Kieran Bull announced his arrival by guiding Podmore through the slips for four, before Murphy drove Stevens through extra cover for four.
But two overs before tea, Stewart boiwled Bull as Timm van der Gugten became Murphy's new partner. He responded by on-driving the Anglo-Australian for another four
Lunchtime Report
The Welsh county made four changes to their lineup from the team which lost last week against Gloucestershire with batsmen Nick Selman and Jack Murphy replacing Connor Brown and Tom Cullen, whilst Jeremy Lawlor plays instead of David Lloyd who broke a finger in last week’s match at Cardiff, with Craig Meschede also returning in place of Graham Wagg. It was Selman who joined Stephen Cook in the middle at 10.30am as Glamorgan began their first innings with Cook glancing Matt Henry to square-leg for four. But Darren Stevens struck in his second over as he bowled Selman.
8/1 saw Jack Murphy join Cook who nurdled the veteran all-rounder to third man for three, before nudging and flicking a series of balls for ones and twos through the legside. Cook also welcomed the introduction of Harry Podmore at the Nackington Road End by cover-driving the young seamer. Murphy began with a series of singles before off-driving Podmore for three, followed by affirm pull for four when Henry switched to the Pavilion End.
Murphy also cover drove Podmore for four, before Cook departed with the total on 37 as he edged Henry into the gully where Ollie Robinson completed the catch. Kiran Carlson announced his arrival by square-driving the Kiwi, before Murphy saw Glamorgan past the 50-mark with a pair of classical off-drives against Podmore. But Henry struck again in his next over as Carlson edged to slip with Kent claiming their first bowling point with the Welsh county on 51/3.
Having been joined by Lawlor, Murphy again dispatched Podmore through cover point for four before his new partner straight drove and cover-drove the seamer with aplomb. Lawlor then unfurled a languid leg-glance to the ropes at mid-wicket and the boundaries continued to flow as Murphy also drilled Henry through mid-wicket. But with the total on 79, Henry claimed a third wicket in his 11th over as Lawlor got a leading edge to an on-drive as was well caught by Podmore running around from mid-on and diving low to his right.
Chris Cooke duly arrived at the crease a quarter of an hour before lunch, but in the final over of the session he feathered a rising delivery from Grant Stewart into Sam Billings' gloves.