Ben Compton was leading Kent’s resistance as they reached 203-3 on day two of their County Championship match with Leicestershire at Canterbury, a deficit of 268.
The Division Two leaders posted 471 after a final wicket stand of 108 between Tom Scriven, who slapped Kent’s bowlers around to make a career-high 99, and Josh Hull, whose 35 was also his highest first-class score.
Compton, however, replied with a mixture of doggedness and adventure to make his 18th first-class century and he was 101 not out when bad light stopped play.
Leicestershire were 386-9 overnight and quickly secured a fourth batting bonus point when Scriven swept Matt Parkinson for four.
Scriven was on 70 when he was dropped by Ekansh Singh at cow corner after mowing a Joey Evison full toss and the number 11 Hull took them past 450 when he drove Parkinson for four.
Parkinson was then denied what would have been a career-best eighth wicket when Compton somehow dropped Hull at midwicket.
If that suggested Scriven’s luck was in, he missed out on his century in agonising fashion. The four that took him to 98 fell just short of the rope; he was on 99 when the batters ran two and the crowd were already applauding, only for the umpires to signal leg byes; two balls later he was plumb lbw to Joey Evison.
Kent survived five dicey overs to reach lunch on 18 without loss but Jaydn Denly was then lbw for 20 to Louis Kimber.
Ekansh got a life when he was on 22. He tried to pull Hull, who nearly had him caught and bowled, only to drop a head high chance.
Compton reached 1,000 runs for the summer when he passed 23, eased to 50 with two off Rehan Ahmed and Kent were 117-1 at tea.
Ekansh went for 33 in the first over after the resumption, driving Ian Holland straight to Scriven at mid on, and with so many young players in Kent’s side the third-wicket partnership between senior players Compton and Tawanda Muyeye always looked like being crucial.
The former’s battle with Rehan Ahmed was gripping, especially in the 90s, as he missed out on a rank long hop and then might have been run out but for a misfield. He was stuck on 99 at the other end when Rehan produced a sharply turning delivery that found Muyeye’s edge and was caught by Peter Handscomb for 46.
George Garrett was sent in as the night watcher and he blocked the rest of the over before Compton stole a single off Green at the start of the 68th to reach three figures and that was the last meaningful action before the light deteriorated and the players went off with two overs remaining.
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