Ben Duckett hit 94 not out as Northants enjoyed a great first day
Tuesday 4 August 2015 20:15, UK
Ben Duckett made 94 not out and Olly Stone took 4-59 as Northamptonshire dominated day one of their LV= County Championship Division Two clash against Kent at Canterbury.
The visitors bowled Kent out for 167 in just 51.2 overs and then completed a very good day’s work by reaching 172-2 at stumps.
Kent chose to bat first after winning the toss but lost a wicket to the fourth ball of the innings, without a run on the board, when Daniel Bell-Drummond (0) was caught by Richard Levi off Stone.
Rob Key and Joe Denly then added 40 for the second wicket, only for three wickets to suddenly fall for the addition of just one run.
Key (16) was caught behind by David Murphy off Maurice Chambers (2-21), who then bowled Kent skipper Sam Northeast for a golden duck.
Ben Harmison (one) was next to go, bowled by Azharullah (2-42), but Denly and Darren Stevens managed a stand of 42 for the fifth wicket.
However, as soon as he had reached 50, Denly was trapped lbw by Stone, who then removed Sam Billings in the same fashion for a six-ball duck.
That made it 87-6 but Stevens and Calum Haggett got Kent into three figures with a 30-run seventh wicket stand.
Stevens then fell to Ben Sanderson (2-34) for 34 and the seamer then had James Tredwell caught behind for one.
Azharullah removed Matt Coles (five), but Haggett and Matt Hunn (3 not out) managed to add a handy 34 for the final wicket before the final wicket fell in the same manner as the first - Levi catching Haggett off Stone.
Northants then got off to a flying start as their innings began with a barrage of boundaries from Duckett.
The 20-year-old raced to his 50 off just 36 balls and he put on 105 for the first wicket with Murphy, who batted in more sedate fashion for his 42, before he was caught by Harmison off Tredwell.
Skipper Alex Wakley was then caught behind by Billings off Hunn for 19 but Duckett continued to prosper.
His pace slowed somewhat as the evening drew on but he finished on 94 not out from 108 balls, with 13 boundaries and will resume in the morning alongside Rob Keogh (11 not out).
