Kent beat Worcestershire by 84 runs at Canterbury, strengthening their position in the promotion race in the Rothesay County Championship Division Two. Brett D’Oliveira scored an unbeaten century for Worcestershire, but Kent’s bowlers dismissed the last five wickets for just 30 runs to close out the match.
Kent Move 15 Points Clear of Northamptonshire
The result puts Kent 15 points ahead of third-placed Northamptonshire, with three matches left in the season. Chasing 380 for victory, Worcestershire resumed the final day at 84 for 3, needing a long partnership to stay in the contest.
Adam Hose and D’Oliveira added runs steadily before Hasan Mahmud trapped Hose lbw for 38, ending the overnight stand. Henry Cullen then joined D’Oliveira, and the pair put on 86 runs to take Worcestershire to 199 for 4 at lunch.
D’Oliveira’s Century Keeps Worcestershire in Contention
Mahmud broke the partnership after the interval, switching ends to bowl Cullen for 45 with the fourth ball of the afternoon session. Matthew Waite came in next, and D’Oliveira brought up his century soon after by driving Keith Dudgeon for two.
The pair kept the chase alive for a while, until Waite chopped a delivery from Dudgeon onto his stumps for 37. Dudgeon then trapped Tom Taylor lbw with the last ball of the session, leaving Worcestershire on 283 for 7 at tea.
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Dudgeon and Mahmud Clean Up the Tail
Dudgeon returned after tea and went around the wicket to Beyers Swanepoel, bowling him for a golden duck with the first delivery of the session. Mahmud took the second new ball soon after and had Ben Allison lbw for a duck. Matt Milnes then replaced Dudgeon at the Nackington Road End and had Adam Finch caught by Tawanda Muyeye for 7, ending the innings on 295 and sealing Kent’s win.
D’Oliveira finished on 103 not out, stranded as his partners fell around him through the final session. Dudgeon took 3 for 63 in the innings, while Mahmud and Milnes each finished with 3 for 51.
Earlier in the match, Kent posted totals of 238 and 358, built on a half-century from Daniel Bell-Drummond in the first innings and a century from Sam Northeast alongside a fifty from Zak Crawley in the second. Worcestershire’s first innings reached 217, with Daniel Lategan scoring 59 and Adam Hose 50, while Tom Taylor took 4 for 68 in that innings and 4 for 68 again in the second.
Kent collected 19 points from the match, and Worcestershire took 3, widening the gap between the two sides in the table with three rounds of matches remaining in the season.
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