Arafat enjoys happy return
Surrey all-rounder Yasir Arafat returned to his old stomping ground in Kent to help dismiss his former county for 266 on the opening day of the 160th Canterbury Festival Week clash
10-Aug-2011
Surrey all-rounder Yasir Arafat returned to his old stomping ground in Kent to help dismiss his former county for 266 on the opening day of the 160th Canterbury Festival Week clash.
The Pakistan all-rounder bagged three wickets for 62 runs in his 22 overs to assist Surrey's County Championship promotion push, while limiting Kent to just two batting bonus points from their first innings that concluded within 82 overs.
Batting first in seemingly ideal batting conditions, Kent posted 80 through opening partners Joe Denly (49) and Robert Key (35). The pair looked untroubled for the best part of 20 overs until home captain Key, on the drive, edged to Mark Ramprakash at fourth slip to make it 80 for one.
Denly, having proffered a half-chance to third slip when on 14, reached 49 from 73 balls until his dismissal on the cusp of lunch. Pushing well forward to a Tim Linley off-cutter, he was sent packing leg before and Kent went in to lunch on 104 for 2.
Sam Northeast's disappointing season continued when he shuffled forward to Zander de Bruyn to also go leg before for 20 and Martin van Jaarsveld had reached 13 when he was out in similar fashion to Jade Dernbach when playing across the line.
Geraint Jones' ambitions got the better of him against Arafat, who plucked out off stump to send the former England wicketkeeper back to the pavilion with only nine against his name.
Darren Stevens, having posted a crisp and watchful 31 from 67 balls, hit his third boundary over extra cover off the left-arm bowling of Zafar Ansari, but perished from the very next delivery. Aiming an apologetic cut at a ball too close to his body, Stevens edged to wicketkeeper Davies and sloped off leaving his side in deep trouble at 184 for 6.
Kent limped to their first batting bonus point with six wickets down but, one run later James Tredwell went leg before wicket to Arafat and soon after Adam Ball wafted outside off stump to be caught behind again off Arafat. Tail-enders Matt Coles and Wahab Riaz hit out lustily to add 16 and 34 respectively before Gareth Batty's off-spin outfoxed Coles and Riaz played across the line to go to Linley.
With 12 overs of the day remaining, Surrey put the excellent batting conditions into perspective with a trouble-free unbroken stand between openers Rory Hamilton-Brown and Davies that took the visitors comfortably to stumps on 50 without loss.
