COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION ONE, Taunton:
Somerset 205 & 301-7 declared drew with Kent 172 & 191-7
Somerset 7pts, Kent 6pts
Match scorecard

Kartik took 5-57 to add to his first-innings figures of 5-50

Murali Kartik completed a match haul of 10-107 but Kent hung on to force a draw with Somerset at Taunton.

After the hosts declared on 301-7, Kent were left an improbable 335 to win.

Despite Sam Northeast (40) and Joe Denly (36) sharing an opening stand of 67, Kartik (5-57) struck three times to help reduce the visitors to 134-5.

But Geraint Jones defied Kartik on a turning pitch for nearly three hours, making 47 from 150 balls, to help Kent close on 191-7.

After the whole of the third day had been lost to rain, Somerset resumed on 122-2 and plundered 179 runs before declaring 25 minutes before lunch.

Zander de Bruyn hit 43 from 41 balls and James Hildreth 48 from 37, while Marcus Trescothick moved from 59 not out to 80, but the Somerset skipper may regret his decision to delay the declaration, as well as the 158 overs lost to rain over the course of the game.

Denly and Northeast survived the four overs they had to face before lunch and progressed well into the afternoon session but were parted when Denly offered a sharp caught and bowled chance to Alfonso Thomas.

Northeast was caught at short leg off Kartik soon after, with Martin van Jaarsveld miscuing a pull off Charl Willoughby to depart cheaply.

When Kartik struck to remove Alex Blake and Darren Stevens Kent still had 20 overs to survive, but James Tredwell joined Jones for what would prove to be a game-saving partnership of 28.

There was only 23 balls left when Kartik trapped Tredwell lbw but despite Jones falling in a similar manner in the penultimate over, Kent had done enough.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version