Tuesday 5 July 2016 20:34, UK
Kent captain Sam Northeast not only denied Essex a Specsavers County Championship Divison Two win in three days, but recorded the first century in a match of some prolific scoring, particularly by the home team.
Four Essex batsmen departed within sight of three figures in a total of 569, a county record that eclipsed the 560 century-less innings against Sussex at Leyton in 1933, though on that distant day they declared nine wickets down.
Back in the present, Northeast's dogged resistance took a game that was fast running away from Kent into a fourth day.
Northeast had entered Kent's innings shortly before lunch on Tuesday when they were 18 for two, still 344 runs short of making Essex bat again.
By the close, he was 116 not out, and Kent had closed the gap to 110.
He belatedly found a batting ally in James Tredwell, and the eighth-wicket pair put on an unbeaten 124 in 39.3 overs to prevent Essex celebrating going back to the top of the table with a well-deserved day off.
Ravi Bopara took three wickets and a catch during the afternoon to help reduce Kent to 128 for seven, but Essex were unable to press home their advantage in a wicketless evening session.
Opener Paul Horton and skipper Mark Cosgrove helped Leicestershire establish a position to push strongly for a revenge victory on the final day of their encounter with Worcestershire at New Road.
Horton has encountered a lean time with scores of two, nine, 19, 15, five and three in Championship cricket since scoring 89 in the defeat against their opponents at Grace Road last month, when they were bowled out for 43 in their second innings.
But the former Lancashire player made a timely return to form after his side had been held up by all-rounder Joe Leach and the lower Worcestershire order during the first half of the day.
He was well supported by Cosgrove as the duo brought up a century stand for the third wicket in exactly 28 overs.
Horton brought up his fifth score of 50 or more of the campaign off 103 balls with seven fours, while Cosgrove's half century came from 98 deliveries and contained nine boundaries.
By the close, the Foxes had moved onto 172 for two with Horton on 75 and Cosgrove 58 - a lead of 230.
David Lloyd led the resistance with an unbeaten hundred as Glamorgan batted through the final day to secure a hard-fought draw against Sussex at Hove.
Sussex, who are still undefeated in the division after eight games, had opportunities to gain what would have been only their second win of the season.
When Will Bragg was run out by Will Beer's direct hit from mid-wicket two overs before lunch, Glamorgan were 108 for four and still trailed by 109.
But Lloyd and Aneurin Donald joined forces in the afternoon to add 86 in 25 overs and although Donald eventually lost his off stump to Ajmal Shahzad for 44, playing no shot, there was no shifting Lloyd.
He offered a chance on 66 but Luke Wright failed to hold on to a thick edge at third slip off Stuart Whittingham, who was the pick of Sussex's seam attack.
Lloyd and Jacques Rudolph saw off the second new ball during a stand of 93 in 24 overs and Lloyd, one of only three Glamorgan batsmen to lodge a Championship century this season, reached his second hundred of the campaign by hitting successive deliveries from Beer to the boundary.
He finished 102 not out from 168 balls, with 14 fours and a six, with Glamorgan 306 for six when the captains shook hands immediately after Lloyd got to three figures.
For the second day, there was no play possible in the match between Derbyshire and Northamptonshire at Chesterfield due to rain.
