Will Rhodes double-century keeps Kent in the doldrums

Will Rhodes marked his penultimate home game as a Warwickshire player with a double-century to put his side in total command of Kent in the Vitality Championship at Edgbaston.

Rhodes struck a chanceless 201 (295 balls, 32 fours) to lift Warwickshire to 420 and a first innings lead of 264. Such a high-class innings from the former captain suggests that Durham, for whom he has signed a three-year contract, will welcome a player heading into his peak as a player.

Rhodes' six-and-a-half hour marathon laid a foundation for his side to press hard for their first championship win of the season. Needing 264 to avoid an innings defeat, Kent closed the second day on 157 for three as Olly Hannon-Dalby (three for 26) took his championship wicket tally this season to 43.

Kent's multitude of problems continues to mount. Their bowling attack, nobly led by George Garrett (three for 76) and Matt Parkinson (three for 94), was deprived of Grant Stewart by a shoulder injury while Tawanda Muyeye could not open the batting as he was unable to field due to a knee injury.

When Warwickshire resumed on the second morning on 207 for three, their progress was immediately brisk. Rhodes struck the first ball of the day to the boundary and five fours from his first 17 balls faced in the session took him to a 151-ball century.

Jacob Bethell edged Charlie Stobo to wicketkeeper Harry Finch but Rhodes and Barnard rattled up a century stand in 150 balls. Kent are having the sort of season where every time you think nothing else can go wrong something does, and so it proved when Stewart pulled up in his delivery stride, flexing his shoulder, first ball after lunch and left the field.

The fifth-wicket stand reached 145 in 34 overs before Barnard lifted Parkinson to mid off. The last six wickets then fell for 46 as Warwickshire, miles ahead already, threw the bat. Michael Burgess pulled Joey Evison to deep mid-wicket, Michael Booth lifted Parkinson to extra cover and Michael Rae larruped the spinner for six but was then stumped off him. Garrett finished the innings by having Rhodes caught at deep square and knocking out Hannon-Dalby's off stump.

Kent started their second innings after tea with 43 overs to bat in the day and lost Ben Compton in the fifth of them when he edged a loose drive at a wide ball from Hannon-Dalby to wicketkeeper Burgess. Harry Finch, opening in Muyeye's absence, and Daniel Bell-Drummond added 116 in 29 overs without many alarms but Lady Luck then truly turned her back on Kent in the closing overs.

Bell-Drummond was adjudged lbw to a ball which appeared to be passing well down the leg-side. Finch (38, 96) departed in equal disbelief at being given out caught at slip off his shoulder. Lady Luck, it appears, has a real downer on Kent right now.