Wallace battles Glamorgan to draw

Centuries from Glamorgan skipper Mark Wallace and Kent's Sam Northeast ensured the two sides' County Championship Division Two clash ended in stalemate.

The hosts posted 168 for 2 in their second innings on a pedestrian final afternoon in Canterbury as former England Under-19 batsman Northeast carried his excellent limited-overs form of late into the four-day game by stroking 11 fours. He made the most of ideal conditions in a rain-ruined match at the St Lawrence Ground as promotion-chasing Kent banked 11 points to Glamorgan's 9.

The outcome of the game, though, rested on the first session of day four when Glamorgan resumed on 264 for 7, needing a further 43 to avoid the follow-on. Kent seamer Charlie Shreck accounted for John Glover leg before in the early exchanges but the turning point came in Shreck's next over when Wallace, on 49, nicked one behind only to see Kent keeper Geraint Jones down a tough diving chance in front of first slip.

Wallace went on to post a 192-ball century and feature in a ninth-wicket stand with Dean Cosker worth 103 in 19 overs that denied Kent their chance to enforce the follow-on.

During his four-hour stay Wallace moved beyond the first-class career mark of 8,350 runs, ensuring he surpassed Eifion Jones as Glamorgan's leading first-class run scorer as a wicketkeeper. Cosker, on 47, finally lost his middle stump to Darren Stevens then Wallace, with his score on 111, attempted an audacious slog-sweep against the same bowler only to be caught at slip off a top edge, ending the Glamorgan innings just before lunch on 389 for a first-innings deficit of 67.

Kent lost Rob Key and Ben Harmison early in the response, but it mattered not a jot once Northeast and first-innings century-maker Brendan Nash dug in for the third wicket. Nash batted 71 minutes for his 28 while Northeast timed his run for a century to perfection and was unbeaten on 101 when the sides shook hands on a draw.