COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION TWO, Tunbridge Wells:
CLOSE OF PLAY, FINAL DAY: Essex 280 & 320-6 dec beat Kent 123 & 355 by 122 runs (Essex 19pts, Kent 3pts)

Danish Kaneria took hjis haul to 20 wickets in four matches

Essex's Pakistan Test bowler Danish Kaneria claimed a season's best 6-92 to secure Essex a vital 122-run win over Division Two promotion rivals Kent.

The 28-year-old wrist spinner recorded his fifth haul of five wickets or more for the county at Tunbridge Wells.

Despite a century from Joe Denly (123)and Martin van Jaarsveld's 73, Kent fell to their first County Championship defeat of the campaign.

And Essex leapfrogged above them by just a point with their second victory.

Although he removed nightwatchman James Tredwell from the Pavilion End in his second over of the day, Kaneria proved even more deadly once he switched to the Railway End from where he bowled 25 of his 42-over stint.

Kent had been set a whopping 479 to win, which, had they got them, would have been a victory only once topped in 109 years of Country Championship cricket.

Resuming at 107-1, they had made a sound start. And, although Geraint Jones followed Tredwell's departure by helping Denly put on 69 in 37 overs, he was beaten by Kaneria's googly.

With his score on a season's best 123, Denly's 293-minute stay then ended with a complete lapse in concentration that led him so miscue an airy drive against England opener Alastair Cook's very occasional off-spin into the hands of extra cover.

Scenting victory, Essex skipper Mark Pettini withdrew Cook from the attack after his one successful over, relying instead on Kaneria, David Masters and Graham Napier to polish the job off.

As long as van Jaarsveld was there, hope remained for Kent of the most unlikely of victories.

But, after being dropped by Masters two runs earlier, his luck ran out on 73 when the former Kent pace bowler atoned by trapping the South African leg before.

And, to the last ball before tea, Justin Kemp played outside the line of another googly to leave Kent in trouble on 321-6.

Essex kept chipping away at their task and again Kaneria was to the fore trapping Ryan McLaren leg before and having Darren Stevens (43) caught at long on after a rash lofted drive.

Kaneria completed his tally by forcing Amjad Khan (16) to chop on to his off stump when trying to pierce the cover field, leaving Napier to complete the win with 15.4 overs to spare by taking a return catch off last man Robbie Joseph.

Essex captain Mark Pettini told BBC Essex:

"We managed to get enough runs on the board in the first and second innings to give our bowlers a target to defend and bowl at going into the fourth innings and they did that superbly.

"The wicket got a bit uneven with the guys bowling cross-seam and bouncers, it was damp to start with but then flattened out."

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version