LV COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION ONE, Canterbury:
CLOSE OF PLAY, DAY TWO: Kent 317, Yorkshire 280-8
Kent 5pts, Yorks 5pts
Match scorecard

Bairstow led the late-order resistance in Yorkshire's first innings

Jonathan Bairstow and Adil Rashid led a late-order fightback for early County Championship leaders Yorkshire on day two against Kent at Canterbury.

Kent, who added just four to their overnight 313-9, looked likely to take a substantial first-innings lead when they reduced the visitors to 120-6.

Bairstow (70) and Rashid (59) then added 126 for the seventh wicket.

Ajmal Shazhad and David Wainwright continued the resistance as the Tykes closed on 280-8.

The White Rose county lost opener Adam Lyth in the third over of their innings when Geraint Jones took a good, diving catch, but it was Azhar Mahmood who caused the visiting top order the most problems in an opening 10-over stint of 2-24.

Mahmood trapped Joe Sayers leg before for a duck before Yorkshire skipper Andrew Gale pushed at a leg-cutter to be superbly caught by Martin van Jaarsveld at second slip.

In the first over after lunch Yorkshire's progress received another setback when Anthony McGrath, well set on 40, played around a straight one from Darren Stevens to fall lbw.

England off-spinner James Tredwell got in on the act with two wickets in as many deliveries, Jacques Rudolph nicking an attempted cut to the wicketkeeper before a well-flighted delivery enticed a rash drive from Tim Bresnan which flew shoulder-high to slip.

Rashid shouldered arms to the hat-trick ball and nearly lost his off stump, but the all-rounder went on to contribute 59 to an excellent seventh-wicket stand with Bairstow that added 126 in 43 overs either side of tea.

Bairstow's three-hour, 172-ball stay came to an end from the third delivery with the second new ball, the young wicketkeeper edging Amjad Khan to third slip.

Nine balls later Mahmood, in his third spell of another bright but cold day, trapped Rashid leg before with an off-cutter that stayed low, but Shahzad (12 not out) and Wainwright (16 not out) added an unbroken 32 by the close.

Kent batsman Darren Stevens told BBC Radio Kent:
"It was a bit hit and miss really. We got a couple of early wickets, then a couple of people dug in, we got a couple more wickets and that's how it sort of went all day.

"Bairstow and Rashid put a hundred partnership on and played very well, and then when we got the new ball we changed it again.

"I felt the last hour we probably let it slip a bit and could have dug in more."

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