CANTERBURY, England, CMC – Alzarri Joseph’s four-wicket haul helped West Indies rein in Kent after the hosts threatened an imposing first-innings total on the second day of their three-day game here yesterday.
The 20-year-old speedster claimed four for 72 as Kent, replying to West Indies’ 265 on Sunday’s opening day, declared in the day’s final over on 331 for nine.
Opener Sean Dickson top-scored with 142 – his fourth first class hundred – while Zak Crawley struck 62, Will Gidman, 42 and Calum Haggett, an unbeaten 29.
Occasional off-spinner Kraigg Brathwaite supported with two for 22 as the remainder of the Windies attack toiled without much success.
Resuming the day on one for one, Dickson and Crawley posted a club record 182 for the second wicket as Kent cruised to 183 without further loss.
Dickson faced 210 deliveries and struck 19 fours and three sixes while Crawley hit seven fours and a six in a 131-ball knock. Due to the pair’s enterprise, Kent moved to 106 for one at lunch and 236 for three at the second interval, with Dickson on 128.
Unbeaten on 41 at lunch, Crawley was one of two wickets to fall in the second session, caught at first slip by Kieran Powell off Joseph.
Captain Sam Billings made a breezy 25 off 29 balls with three fours and a six and added 40 with Dickson before he was run out by good work by Shai Hope at mid-wicket.
Dickson eventually fell about half-hour after tea, holing out on the long-off boundary off leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo at 259 for four.
Gidman added 32 for the fifth wicket with Adam Ball (3) to push Kent up to 291 for four but Brathwaite made key strikes, knocking over Ball and Adam Rouse without scoring, as the hosts lost three wickets for four runs in quick time.
Haggett, though, hung around for 44 balls to frustrate the tourists until Joseph struck in successive overs to finally put the innings on the ropes.
SCOREBOARD
WEST INDIES 1st Innings 265
KENT 1st Innings
(overnight one for one)
D Bell-Drummond c wkp Dowrich b Joseph 0
S Dickson c Joseph b Bishoo 142
Z Crawley c Powell b Joseph 62
*S Billings run out 25
W Gidman b Reifer 42
A Ball st wkp Dowrich b Brathwaite 3
+A Rouse b Brathwaite 0
C Haggett not out 29
C Hartley c Powell b Joseph 5
A Riley b Joseph 0
M Hunn not out 0
Extras (lb6, nb12, w5) 23
TOTAL (9 wkts decl., 93.2 overs) 331
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-182, 3-223, 4-259, 5-291, 6-295, 7295, 8-328, 9-330.
Bowling: Joseph 22-5-72-4, Cummins 22.2-6-58-0, Reifer 24-3-100-1, Bishoo 16-1-74-1, Brathwaite 9-3-21-2.
Position: Kent lead by 66 runs.
Toss: West Indies.
Umpires: J Middlebrook, A Wharf.
