Kent v Somerset

Kent will need to work very hard if they are to secure a last day victory of Somerset at Tunbridge Wells after losing five wickets in the final session of Friday’s play.

Chasing down 271 in a shade over four sessions for victory in this game of fluctuating fortunes, Kent went in at stumps on 134-5 - needing a further 137 runs to clinch their seventh successive win in all competitions.

Though openers Rob Key and Joe Denly posted 51 without much trouble, the wheels came off Kent’s bandwagon after tea when five wickets fell inside 32 overs with left-arm swing bowler Charl Willoughby bagging 3-33.

Key (26) fenced outside off to be caught at slip, James Tredwell (3) padded up to go lbw to Ben Phillips then Martin van Jaarsveld (4) chipped a catch to extra cover to make it 67-3.

Darren Stevens again looked in sublime form in racing to 17, including three sumptuous boundaries in one over from Steffan Jones, but Jones soon had his revenge by having Stevens caught in the cordon from an edged push drive.

Then, five over from the close, Justin Kemp (9) also snicked into the slips to leave Willoughby celebrating again.

Things might have been even worse for Kent had Somerset held on to two other chances offered up by Denly when on 22.

As the rught-hander defended against Phillips, Trescothick at second slip then, Neil Edwards next to him at second, grassed two opportunities in the space of three balls that allowed Denly to reach an 86-ball 50.

The 22-year-old remained unbeaten on 64 at the close, his highest championship score since July last year.

Former England batsman Marcus Trescothick had proved Kent’s major stumbling block earlier in the day in top-scoring with a magnificent 139 before falling to the second new ball.

He lost his sixth wicket partner Ian Blackwell (61) soon after lunch to end a stand worth 107 in 26 overs. It was Robbie Joseph’s second delivery with the new ‘conker’ and a little extra bounce enticed Blackwell to steer a sharp chance to second slip that Martin van Jaarsveld accepted.

Trescothick’s marathon stay then ended when he went leg before when working across the line of a Ryan McLaren in-swinger.

Craig Kieswetter (1) then edged a leg-cutter to the keeper to give McLaren a third wicket but Yasir Arafat polished the job off by dismissing Phillips and Charl Willoughby with successive balls.

Though James Tredwell and Joseph had bowled well in the first hour of the day to take three wickets, no one threatened to remove Trescothick as he posted a 187-ball century with 13 fours a six. It was the left-hander’s 16th century for Somerset and the 30th of his career.

The day had started reasonably brightly for Kent after skipper Key opened the bowling with the off-spin of Tredwell from the Railway End.

Night watchman Jones (16) fell in Tredwell’s third over of the day when clipping a catch to Ryan McLaren at mid-wicket.

Three balls later James Hildreth (0) allowed one from Tredwell to turn through the gate, flatten his off stump and make it 160-4.

After much playing and missing, Zander de Bruyn (1) eventually edged a Joseph leg-cutter for Geraint Jones to complete the dismissal.

Joseph should have been celebrating again moments later when Blackwell, when on nought, toe-ended and attempted pull shot toward mid-wicket, Key set off from mid-on but just failed to hang on the a diving effort.

Blackwell made Kent pay for the let off by taking three fours off Tredwell’s next over while Trescothick moved to three figures with a thumping pull shot off Joseph that scorched to the ropes at deep mid-wicket.