Durham 42-1 lead Kent by 254 runs
Durham reached Saturday’s lunch interval on 42 for one and having stretched their Specsavers County Championship lead over Kent to 254 runs.
Batting again before noon with a 212-run lead and after deciding not to enforce the follow-on, Durham suffered a near immediate blow with the loss of left-handed opener Keaton Jennings.
Prodding half-forward and inside the line of Darren Stevens first delivery, an off-cutter, the ball thudded into the right pad forcing umpire Jeff Evans to raise his finger.
Matt Coles, who was guilty of spraying the new ball around in Durham’s first innings, was on the money second time around to provide Stevens with an ideal and fiery foil as Durham battled through five consecutive maidens.
Stephen Cook needed one stroke of luck to survive. With his score on 25 the right-hander drove loosely at one from Will Gidman only for Coles, at second slip, to drop a tough chance diving in front of first slip.
At the start of the third day Paul Collingwood’s side needed almost 12 overs and 50 minutes’ play to mop up Kent’s last two first-inning’s wickets and secure their 212-run lead.
Barry McCarthy eventually polished the job off having Yasir Shah caught behind by a tumbling Stuart Poynter for 48 and then, with his next delivery, snaring Mitchell Claydon lbw with the home score on 236.
Debutant Shah had featured in a ninth-wicket stand worth 113 in 34.2 overs with his new skipper Sam Northeast who had earlier posted his 18th first-class hundred from 162 balls and with 13 fours. He was left unbeaten on 109.
McCarthy finished with a career-best 6-63 while Chris Rushworth bagged three for 69 in a much-improved Durham bowling performance. McCarthy will start the Kent second innings on a hat-trick.