Kent v Derbyshire: Day two match report

Van Jaarsveld keeps Kent hoping, and an inspirational debut for Shaw

Martin van Jaarsveld's 95 ensured Kent's fightback, which was set in motion by left-arm seamer Ashley Shaw, continued with the bat.

Martin van Jaarsveld's battling 95 and a Sam Northeast half-century improved Kent’s chances. Responding to Derbyshire’s impressive 460 – their highest total of the season and their first haul of maximum batting bonus points – Kent reached 198 for four at the end of the second day in their quest to reach 311 and make the visitors bat again.

After a poor start, Kent recovered with stands worth 96 and 65 for their third and fourth wicket respectively, with van Jaarsveld playing the lead role in both.

Kent lost their first wicket in the sixth over when Joe Denly, making his first appearance for three weeks after breaking a thumb, reached five before chopping on to off stump when attempting to cut Jonathan Clare.

Skipper Robert Key soon followed, caught by Chesney Hughes at second slip as he pushed forward at a superb delivery from Tim Groenewald that lifted and left him.

From 32 for two, Northeast and van Jaarsveld joined forces in a stand that lasted almost 27 overs. Northeast, fresh from scoring a century against Loughborough MCCU, hit a 108-ball fifty with nine fours only to go eight balls later, leg before to on-loan off-spinner Azeem Rafiq for 50.

Van Jaarsveld looked certain to record his first century of the summer when, in attempting a back-foot force against the off-spin of Greg Smith three overs from stumps, he picked out Groenewald, who clutched a stunning catch low to his right at point.

Having suffered a horrendous opening day with the ball as Derbyshire raced to 370 for three, Kent enjoyed a much-improved spell in the field at the start of the second day by taking the last seven Derbyshire wickets in just over a session.

Left-arm seamer Ashley Shaw, making his championship debut, started the rout with three wickets in five balls.

The 20-year-old removed nightwatchman Tony Palladino with a yorker, and in the next over had Dan Redfern caught at second slip for 30 and trapped Smith leg before first ball as aimed slightly across the line.

Luke Sutton successfully fended away the hat-trick ball, but Wes Durston soon went for 18 when he fenced at a Neil Saker lifter to be caught behind.

Sutton had reached 28 when he lost his leg stump when aiming to paddle sweep James Tredwell. Just before lunch, Rafiq failed to get on top of a short one from Matt Coles and was well caught low in the gully by Tredwell.

Kent wrapped up the innings soon after the resumption when Shaw rushed one through Clare’s gate to finish with 5-118.

In doing so Shaw became the first Kent player to take five wickets on championship debut since Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan, who bagged 5-61 against Essex at the same venue in 2003.

Photo by Sarah Ansell from SarahCanterbury.com