Kent 245 for 1 (Bell-Drummond 134*, Compton 100*) path Essex 530 for 7 dec (Critchley 151*, Elgar 120, Cox 67) by 285 runs
The Kent captain reached three figures in opposition to Somerset at Canterbury final week, and helped his aspect battle again with a second ton after struggling three and a half periods of unremitting toil within the subject at Chelmsford.
Compton and Bell-Drummond dug in doggedly, initially at round two an over till the Kent captain hit Simon Harmer straight for 4 and added one other by way of midwicket in the identical over. When Compton flicked Jamie Porter off his legs, Kent had added 14 runs in six balls. It marked a sea-change because the gloves got here off.
Bell-Drummond reached his half-century from 99 balls with a push into the covers off Aaron Beard, after which cross-batted the identical bowler by way of midwicket for his sixth boundary. Compton, who was dropped at slip on 20, batted slightly below three hours for his fifty, which took up 147 balls.
When Critchley strayed down both aspect of the wicket, Compton got here out of his self-imposed shell and nudged the ball thrice to the boundary in fast succession. Abruptly, because the night session progressed in vivid sunshine, it was the flip of the Essex assault to endure.
Bell-Drummond’s tenth 4, chopped by way of the covers for 3 off Beard, took him to a 168-ball century, and likewise introduced up the 150-run stand for the second wicket. A six over lengthy leg adopted by a full-toss for 4 off Critchley saved up Bell-Drummond’s dominance. Harmer additionally got here in for comparable remedy with one other most disappearing into the far distance.
Compton reached his century on the final ball of the day, having batted for 237 minutes with 12 fours.
Essex had batted on for 70 minutes within the morning, including 109 runs, shedding simply the wicket of Harmer and claiming full batting factors earlier than the declaration put Kent’s demoralised fielders and bowlers out of their distress. Solely George Garrett, who took two for 80, went at lower than 4 runs an over.
Critchley made hay, hitting three sixes over lengthy leg, one out of the bottom, in his file knock whereas additionally sharing half-century partnerships on the day with Harmer and Snater. Because the declaration approached Critchley and Snater placed on 52 from 28 balls with the latter’s 26 coming off simply 16 balls.
The one vivid second for Kent throughout the morning was when 18-year-old spinner Jaydn Denly claimed a debut first-class wicket as Harmer superior down the wicket, swiped expansively and was stumped.
