Stevens, Rouse lead Kent to safety

Leicestershire 420 (Ackermann 89, McKay 66, Hunn 3-110) and 61 for 2 drew with Kent 462 for 9 dec (Stevens 100, Rouse 60, Coles 56*, Tredwell 55, Klein 4-108)
Scorecard

The loss of a day and half to rain and a pitch that eased once the sun finally came out ultimately proved to be the decisive factors as the Specsavers Division Two county championship match between Leicestershire and Kent ended in a draw, with both sides taking maximum bonus points.

A century for in-form Kent allrounder Darren Stevens - his first against his former county - and half-centuries for Adam Rouse, James Tredwell and Matt Coles enabled Kent skipper Sam Northeast to declare at tea, but Paul Horton, Harry Dearden and Colin Ackermann saw Leicestershire through to an early close.

The morning had seen Stevens and Rouse extend their unbeaten overnight sixth-wicket partnership to 152, a record for Kent against Leicestershire.

Kent had begun the day still needing 78 runs to avoid the follow-on but though Rouse did enjoy one moment of good fortune, when he edged left-arm fast bowler Dieter Klein just past his leg stump when he was on just 16, it was a rare moment of alarm on a pitch which had flattened under the sunshine of the previous day.

Stevens, who had played with destructive power in charging to his half-century off just 30 balls on the evening of the third day, was more circumspect as he approached three figures.

He did lose Rouse, bowled for 60 by Callum Parkinson - the left-arm spinner's first first-class wicket for Leicestershire - but went to his century off 96 balls, having hit 15 fours and a six. Shortly after doing so an attempt to hit a full delivery from Tom Wells back over the bowler's head resulted in a simple catch for Klein at mid-off.

James Harris went leg before to Mark Cosgrove, but Coles and Tredwell compiled a partnership of 89 for the ninth wicket before occasional offspinner Dearden turned his first delivery past Tredwell's outside edge and on to off stump.

Horton hung out his bat at a Will Gidman delivery to be dismissed in the 40s for the fourth consecutive innings, and Dearden hung his head after slashing a Matt Hunn delivery to gully, where Gidman took a fine catch, the ball before the teams shook hands.