Worcestershire slip towards heavy defeat after Jack Leaning, Sam Billings lead way for Kent
Visitors six down and still heavily in arrears after conceding 260-run deficit
ECB Reporters' Network
06-Sep-2021
Jack Leaning fell three runs short of a century • Getty Images
Worcestershire 133 and 91 for 6 (Gilchrist 2-14) trail Kent 393 (Leaning 97, Billings 72, Stevens 66, Pennington 4-80) by 169 runs
Worcestershire were facing an innings defeat in their LV= Insurance County Championship match at Canterbury, having reached 91 for 6 at the end of day two, trailing Kent by 169. Grant Stewart, Nathan Gilchrist and Darren Stevens claimed two wickets each to leave the visitors in deep trouble, after Kent had earlier been dismissed 393, a first-innings lead of 260.
Jack Leaning top-scored with 97 and Sam Billings made a stylish 72 as a substitute after being released by England, while Dillon Pennington claimed four for 80.
Ed Barnard and Ben Cox were the not out batsman at stumps, on 10 and 2 respectively, and with just the tail to come Kent were heavy favourites to conclude victory within three days.
Kent began day two on 184 for 4 and Stevens was the lone victim in the morning session, caught for 66 at midwicket by Barnard off Adam Finch. Kent moved to 265 for 5 when the new ball was taken and were 274 for 5 at lunch.
Billings, who was allowed to bat but not keep wicket, produced a high-class innings and brought up his 50 by pulling Pennington for six over square leg, as Kent scored more freely after lunch. However, Leaning fell three short of his hundred when a Pennington delivery looped off the shoulder of his bat to Barnard at mid-off and Billings skied Josh Baker to the cover boundary, where he was pouched by Pennington.
Grant Stewart was then stumped by Cox off Baker for a punchy 24, Gilchrist was caught behind for 8 off Finch and Baker bowled Logan for 12 to leave Matt Milnes stranded on 27 not out.
Worcestershire's second innings suffered an early blow when Stevens sent Daryl Mitchell's off stump flying for 14 and after recovering to 51 for 1, they lost three wickets for as many runs. Jake Libby was lbw to Stewart for 23, before Gilchrist took two wickets from successive balls. Tom Fell was lbw for 11 and Brett D'Oliveira went for a bizarre golden duck after edging to first slip. Wicketkeeper Ollie Robinson dived across Zak Crawley but failed to grab the ball cleanly. Crawley flicked it in the air and Robinson dived to complete the catch.
Jack Haynes hung around for 68 balls but was lbw to Stevens for 26 and Finch made just 1 before he was caught behind off Stewart in the penultimate over.
