[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Day Two

Morning: A far warmer Friday which hinted that the waning summer might have some wax in it yet, and there was early warning that the pitch and the Kent bowling attack might have life in them as Gareth Roderick edged behind for 63. New man Adam Hose made as bright a start as ever, but the watchful Rob Jones fell for 49 to a catch at second slip, bringing in the returning skipper Brett D'Oliveira to take the game to Kent and carry the Pears to lunch on 237-4, leading by 66 and maintaining control of the match.

Afternoon: The counter-attack continued apace, with every new man at the crease looking to go hard once Hose holed out for 39; half-centuries apiece for Dolly and Ethan Brookes ended somewhat frustratingly as the former fell on 97 getting impatient for three figures, and the latter saw the ball trickle onto the stumps for 50, but by that point the lead already stood at a towering 213. Though the tail threatened to fold cheaply, and before reaching 400, a class last-wicket stand secured the fourth batting point and a career-best 43 for Adam Finch before he was bowled, ending the Pears innings on 447 with a lead of 276.

Evening: A comedy run-out for Ben Compton on a duck - ostensibly not noticing the presence of a fielder at mid-off as he called for a suicidal single - raised hopes that the Pears might get things wrapped up nice and quickly, but the Kent opener Tawanda Muyeye had other ideas, going straight on the attack and scoring at a run a ball as he whittled down the lead almost single-handedly. There was, however, time for Finchy to cap a tidy day for himself by bowling Daniel Bell-Drummond for 5, leaving the visitors 104-2 at stumps and trailing by 172.