Allenby halts Kent victory push

Glamorgan's batsmen showed their resolve and a willingness to battle on day three at Canterbury, digging in against Kent to reach 264 for 7 and improve their chances of avoiding the follow-on.

Kent declared on their overnight first-innings total of 456 for 9 when play finally started at noon, setting the Welsh county 307 to avoid the follow-on, and by stumps the visitors were only 43 short of their target with three first-innings wickets intact.

When Matt Coles bagged two early wickets to help reduce the visitors to 83 for 4 all appeared to be going Kent's way until Stewart Walters and then Glamorgan vice-captain Jim Allenby dug in to frustrate the hosts for much of the afternoon.

After early morning showers led to an umpteenth delay in the game, Glamorgan posted 37 for their first wicket before Kent started to make gradual inroads. With only his seventh ball of the day from the Nackington Road End, Coles rushed one through the defensive push of Will Bragg to pluck out the left-hander's off stump.

Six balls later, Charlie Shreck got one to lift from the Pavilion End, forcing Gareth Rees to fence it towards gully where Darren Stevens pocketed a sharp overhead chance that made it 47 for 2.

Marcus North pushed with firm hands at one from Coles to snick to James Tredwell at second slip then soon after lunch Ben Wright went back and across in defence to Stevens to perish leg before.

Walters then joined forces with Allenby to add 84 in 19.3 overs for the fifth wicket, with Walters posting a 98-ball 50 with four fours. It was his third in this Championship season. But only 11 balls later the wafted cross-batted against Stevens only to feather one into the gloves of Geraint Jones.

Allenby took on the anchor role thereafter as he and wicketkeeper Mark Wallace combined to add a further 87 in 31.4 overs in the best batting conditions of the game.

Allenby, having battled for three hours, was only 14 short of his century when he tossed away his own wicket against the occasion left-arm wrist-spin of Brendan Nash. Advancing to drive over the bowler's head, Allenby's bottom hand took control and tugged the ball straight into the hands of Michael Powell at long-on.

With the new ball available, home captain Rob Key immediately reverted to pace and Shreck returned to trap James Harris leg before as the tail-ender jumped across his stumps in aiming to work to leg.

Kent will look to claim Glamorgan's three remaining first-innings wickets quickly on the final day and will be favourites to force a victory should they do so.