England Lion Ekansh Singh tore the heart out of the Middlesex top order on day three of the County Championship Division Two match at Merchant Taylors’ School in Northwood. The 20-year-old spinner put Kent in a commanding position in this vital promotion battle on Saturday.
The Middlesex bowlers dismissed Kent for 254 in their second innings, which set the hosts an imposing target of 356 runs to win. Middlesex slipped to 103-3 before recovering to reach 186-4 at stumps. Consequently, Middlesex required another 170 runs on the final day, while Kent needed six wickets for a crucial victory.
Kent Set Imposing Target on Day Three
Kent established their strong position earlier in the day through two superb half-centuries. Tawanda Muyeye and Ben Compton built a magnificent second-wicket partnership after starting the day on 38-2.
Specifically, Muyeye scored a rapid 64 off almost a run a ball. He hit a massive six off veteran seamer Toby Roland-Jones and hammered Noah Cornwell for successive boundaries. On the other hand, Compton played a much more cautious innings to anchor the Kent team. The opener top-scored with 65 runs to keep the Middlesex bowlers at bay.
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Middlesex Fight Back After Lunch
Muyeye and Compton shared a vital second-wicket stand of 93 runs for Kent. However, spinner Zafar Gohar ended Muyeye’s fine innings when he trapped him leg-before-wicket. Shortly before lunch, Gohar struck again when he clean-bowled Kent captain Daniel Bell-Drummond for 39.
After the lunch break, Compton also departed when he chipped a catch to Max Holden off Tom Helm. Furthermore, Helm bowled Ekansh Singh for a first-ball duck with a superb delivery. Despite these quick losses, Chris Benjamin added a valuable 45 to push Kent’s total to 254.
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The Run Chase: Middlesex Face Steeper Climb
Middlesex started their chase of 356 runs with great determination. Openers Luke Hollman and Sam Robson battled hard against the new ball pairing of Matt Milnes and Matt Quinn. They put together a decent opening partnership of 68 runs.
But Ekansh Singh changed the whole course of the evening session. The young spinner was brilliant and immediately put the Middlesex batsmen under a lot of pressure. He dismissed Sam Robson for 36 when the former England opener edged a bouncing delivery behind to Chris Benjamin.
A short time later, Singh bowled Max Holden for 13 with a quick, straight delivery that hit the stumps. The young bowler also got Luke Hollman for 36 with Benjamin taking another easy catch. Singh’s brilliant spell of three wickets for 35 runs reduced Middlesex from 68-0 to 103-3.
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Late Wicket Breaks Middlesex Counter-Attack
Subsequently, Ben Geddes and skipper Leus du Plooy launched an aggressive counter-attack. Geddes drove the Kent seamers imperiously through the covers to score a quick 37 off just 26 balls. Meanwhile, du Plooy showed great composure to steady the innings.
However, bowler Keith Dudgeon broke their dangerous partnership before the close of play. Geddes attempted another aggressive pull shot but holed out to the fielder at long leg. At stumps, du Plooy remained unbeaten on 36, while Ryan Higgins supported him with 10 not out. This was a milestone game for Higgins who took 500 career wickets in all formats.
Promotion Race Drama in Division Two
This match carries massive weight for both teams in the County Championship Division Two promotion race. Currently, Durham lead the division and seem on track for another victory.
Therefore, Kent must win this match to maintain their push for the second promotion spot. Their main rivals, Northamptonshire, also hold a strong position in their match against Lancashire. Consequently, a victory on the final day would give Kent a massive boost in their bid to reach Division One.
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