Matthew Potts starred as Durham’s bowlers blew away Kent’s batting line-up on a rain-affected second day of their County Championship clash.
It was Durham’s day as Potts and Kemar Roach picked up three wickets apiece to restrict Kent to 197 all out, a first innings deficit of 138 for the visitors, despite the best efforts of Sam Northeast who fell six short of a century on his return to the county.
Kent’s bowlers struck back with a couple of early wickets, but Durham reasserted their dominance in their second innings and finished the day on 83-2, leading by 221.
Resuming on 50-2 under gloomy skies at Chester-le-Street, Kent pair Tawanda Muyeye and Northeast had a challenging opening period to see out and Ben Raine picked up his first scalp of the season, pinning Muyeye in front of his stumps to get him LBW for 10.
Daniel Bell-Drummond then fell for a four-ball duck, as he edged Raine to Kasey Aldridge in the slips, which handed Raine his 300th First Class wicket for Durham.
A third wicket fell in quick succession, as the impressive Potts found a bit of extra bounce and Joey Evison feathered one through to Ollie Robinson for two.
Northeast plundered a Roach delivery down the ground for four and reached a fifty on his Kent return from 94 balls.
However, his support cast kept on tumbling with Chris Benjamin departing for 19 to hand Aldridge a maiden First Class wicket for Durham after he drove one straight to Raine at cover.
The players then went off for an early lunch as the rain came, and the players returned under the lights for the afternoon session, and Kent will have wished the rain stayed as Aldridge sent Grant Stewart’s middle stump flying for one straight after the break.
Bad light then intervened for a short period, but they were back out quickly and Potts got his third as Matt Milnes was caught behind for eight.
Keith Dudgeon joined Northeast at the crease and helped Kent avoid the follow-on, however, Dudgeon’s cameo of 22 came to an end at the hands of Roach, as he was caught behind, with Robinson producing an excellent diving effort after the South African edged a delivery.
Northeast’s defiance continued as he moved into the 90’s, but Roach got his third as Northeast’s excellent knock came to an end with an edge behind to Robinson for 94.
The rain then returned just as Durham were about to start their second innings with a 138 first innings lead, but they resumed after an early tea.
Alex Lees and Ben McKinney started Durham’s innings and Glenton Stuurman removed the Durham skipper for six, as he found the opener’s off-stump.
First innings centurion Gay then fell for 11, as he clipped a Dudgeon ball to Muyeye at leg slip.
McKinney, who initially found life difficult against Stuurman and Dudgeon, started to find his groove, with a couple of lovely shots through the offside.
Durham’s lead passed 200 as McKinney and David Bedingham looked to be positive at the crease before play was halted due to bad light.
Report supplied by the ECB Reporters Network, supported by Rothesay.
