Durham 91 (Henry 5-28) and 13 for 1 trail Kent 169 (Kuhn 54) by 65 runs
Scorecard
Aiden Markram endured a nightmare start to his Durham career as he collected a pair on day one of his side’s Specsavers County Championship Division Two clash against Kent, as 21 wickets fell at the Emirates Riverside.
Markram and his team-mates were skittled out in one session in the first innings, but bounced back to bowl Kent out for 169. However, with six overs left in the final session, the South African lost his wicket for a duck for the second time.
Matt Henry was the star with the ball for the visitors as he claimed five wickets in the morning session before returning late in the day to take the scalp of Markram for the second time, handing Kent a huge advantage heading into the second day.
The home side endured a nightmare start to the campaign, losing Markram in the third over, lbw to Henry. Will Smith followed in the same over when he lost his off stump. Gareth Harte, playing his maiden County Championship match, notched a couple of boundaries, but he became the New Zealand seamer’s third wicket lbw for 16.
Henry continued his onslaught with the vital scalp of Paul Collingwood for only four runs. Michael Richardson provided some resistance, but fell lbw to Henry for 15, leaving Durham 46 for 7 after Harry Podmore claimed the scalps of Graham Clark and Stuart Poynter. Durham were in danger of posting their lowest first-class score – 67 made against Middlesex in 1996.
However, James Weighell, Nathan Rimmington and Matthew Potts were able to guide them past the total with a streak of aggression towards the end of the innings. Darren Stevens came back into the attack and was able to wrap up the tail, claiming three wickets, to dismiss the home side for 91.
Kent’s reply got off to a poor start when Daniel Bell-Drummond was dismissed by Chris Rushworth for a duck. Sean Dickson and Heino Kuhn battled back, putting on 63 for the second wicket. Dickson was in full flow before he edged to Markram at slip off the bowling of Potts. Collingwood and Rimmington struck to reduce the visitors to 80 for 4.
Kuhn and Stevens passed Durham’s first-innings total and the 100-run mark before tea. Stevens failed to see out the first over after the break when he fell for 17 lbw to Weighell. Kuhn remained undeterred and he notched his fifty by displaying patience at the crease, reaching the milestone off 119 deliveries, including 10 boundaries.
The South African gave away his wicket on 54 with a loose stroke off Will Smith. It sparked a collapse as Rimmington dismissed Adam Rouse and Henry in the same over. Will Gidman provided valuable resistance with an innings of 19, but Weighell wrapped up the innings with two late strikes, bowling Kent out for 168 and a lead of 78.
Henry once again made early inroads when he had Markram caught at mid-wicket for a third-ball duck, leaving Durham 65 runs behind at the close with a huge challenge to overturn the deficit.
Source: ESPN Crickinfo