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Durham 408-8 v Kent
Ageless Kent all-rounder Darren Stevens took his season’s wicket tally to 35 but could not prevent Durham from passing 400 for the second time this season on an engaging second morning in Canterbury.
Durham went in at lunch sitting pretty on 408 for eight after 126 overs built largely around a captain’s century from Paul Collingwood. Â
Resuming on their overnight score of 318 for five and with an eye on a 400-plus total for only the second time this season, Durham skipper Collingwood was soon celebrating.
After cracking a brace of boundaries in the first over from Matt Coles, he moved to his 34th first-class century from 160 balls. In a moment of brevity, the 41-year-old made as if to walk down the pitch on a zimmer frame to shake hands with his sixth-wicket partner Stuart Poynter.
Kent snatched a second bowling point in the 110th over when Darren Stevens pegged back Poynter’s off stump to break a stand worth 67 then, four deliveries later, Matthew Potts suffered a fourth-ball duck on county debut when he followed a Stevens away-swinger to nick to the keeper.  Â
Stevens, now 41, then picked up his fifth, five-wicket return of the season by ending Collingwood’s 208-ball stay for 120. Colingwood, 26 days Stevens’ junior, followed an away swinger and edged into the cordon where Coles snaffled a simple catch.
Stevens rested after a morning stint of 11-3-23-3 enabling Durham to bat through to the interval with no further loss. Â Â Â Â Â Â