Date-stamped : 30 Aug97 - 18:04 Ealham strikes to interrupt Hampshire flow By Christopher Martin-Jenkins at Portsmouth First day of four: Hampshire 111-2 v Kent A BALMY, sunlit afternoon emerged from the chrysalis of a grey and showery morning on the south coast and Kent must be relieved at least that they got on to the field at the start of a cham- pionship run-in during which every point is likely to count. Mark Ealham got them two-thirds of the way towards their first bonus point with a nicely varied spell of bowling on his 28th birth- day but Giles White, fresh from his maiden championship hundred on this ground 10 days ago, laid the base of another decent innings in the reassuring company of Robin Smith. Kent`s captain, Steve Marsh, had a tricky decision when he won the toss - or rather when John Stephenson lost it for the seventh championship match in succession: this alone is thought likely to rule him out of contention as Mike Atherton`s successor if and when that notoriously bad coin-spinner decides to resign during the next 48 hours. Marsh chose to field, more no doubt because of the fourth in- nings than the greenish hue of the pitch when the covers came off for a 3.30pm start. Few first-class grounds in England are closer to the sea than the United Services ground. Its greenness is thought to be caused by a high water table but as often as not it is deceptive. Hampshire scored 471 for nine in their second innings here 10 days ago and Marsh no doubt reckoned that he would prefer to be chasing a target than trying, as Yorkshire did in vain, to bowl out the home side. Hampshire could be pleased enough with their 111 for two, an ap- propriate enough total for a ground associated closely with Nel- son and the Navy. Kent bowled 45 overs, two more than the minimum required, but there was nothing other than a little nip off the seam here and there, some swing for the estimable Ealham and the barest semblance of turn for Paul Strang`s leg-breaks. That said, Dean Headley had little luck in a lively eight-over opening spell from the redolently-named Officers` Club End. He failed to convince umpire Tony Clarkson that two worthwhile leg-before shouts against Jason Laney were close enough and another hearty appeal was refused when Matthew Hayden, having twice been beaten past the outside edge, padded up. Hampshire were, therefore, 32 for no wicket when tea was taken after a mere 11 overs and Kent must have feared the worst, knowing Hayden, with some firm strokes through mid-wicket, had taken his ag- gregate for the season past 1,200. Five overs into an enjoyable evening session, however, Ealham came to the rescue with a slower ball which Hayden drove firm- ly but straight to mid-off. It was a well-deserved success during a spell in which the England all-rounder, who has every incen- tive to do well before the tour selectors meet, swung it a little both ways and was al- ways inviting the batsman to drive. Laney`s strength is the cut. His two most memorable strokes were both cracked square off the back foot against Matthew Flem- ing but he was constrained by Ealham and happy, it seemed, to play an anchor- ing role while White, playing neatly from the start on a ground which clearly suits him well, found his bear- ings. It came as something of a surprise when Laney unleashed an off-drive at Ealham, only to play the ball on to his stumps via his left boot. If that was birthday luck, it was the last Eal- ham had. Smith opened his account with one of those thunderous square cuts which have long been his cricketing signature and, more by luck than design, he had little of the loopy stuff to test him once Ealham made way for Strang. White played him without difficulty, deflecting purposefully on either side of the wicket. The Kent players are clearly enjoying their cricket but al- ready the pitch, its caprices long ago crushed by the heaviest roller in the land, is suggesting that they will have to work hard if they are to take maximum points from this match. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Kent caught on the hop by warning for Headley By Christopher Martin-Jenkins at Portsmouth Second day of four: Hampshire 210-5 v Kent FOR the second match in succession, Kent are in danger of los- ing the services of their strike bowler. A double warning to Dean Headley for running on the pitch is of almost as much concern as the weather after two rain-interrupted days which have produced a total of only 86 overs and, for the championship contenders, a mere two points. Even those are sufficient, for the moment at least, to raise them to the status of joint leaders. Showers worthy of an April day, a determined effort by Robin Smith and a handsome undefeated fifty by John Stephenson com- bined to frustrate Kent until the umpires grew tired of the comings and goings and called off play soon after 5 pm. In- evitably, the sun came out soon after. Headley will have to watch his step this morning. He took all three wickets to fall yesterday, bowling with real zip and hos- tility from the Officers Club end, but he twice incurred the displeasure of the umpire, Tony Clarkson, for running through on to the danger area. Under an experimental law in both inter- national and domestic cricket this year, the danger area has been extended from four feet to five, but Headley was warned twice during the five short periods of play yesterday and if he were to transgress a third time, he would have to be taken off for the remainder of the first innings. Since he has taken three well-deserved wickets for 44 and Kent are halfway towards bowling Hampshire out, this might be less of a calamity than the ban which affected Martin McCague in their last match (for an accidental beamer following warnings for bounc- ers) at the very start of the game. On the other hand, bowling Hamp- shire out is proving a problem. Despite the dis- missal of Giles White and Matthew Keech in the first half-hour - White defeated by bounce as he played back and Keech brilliantly caught by Trevor Ward diving left at second slip - there was only one further success. Smith batted as if he fancied the kind of long, major innings which alone might persuade the England selectors to remember him when they choose the side to the West Indies. He dealt capably with Headley, competently with Paul Strang, very careful- ly with the probing variations of Mark Ealham and respectfully with Ben Phillips, whose run-up towards a high but open action is reminiscent of anoth- er tall, dark new-ball bowler, the Le- icestershire stalwart Les Taylor. The innings of the day, however, was Stephenson`s. He is not assured of the captaincy next year but the indications are that he is starting to grow into a difficult job and he batted with confidence and style from the outset, cutting and driving Strang for four fours in two overs. Untroubled by the showers, or by the loss of Smith, who was lbw when well forward in the first over after lunch, he dashed to his fifty in 81 balls with nine fours, his third substantial innings in as many games. As Matthew Hayden ran and exercised on the outfield last evening, in pursuit of high, and typically Australian, person- al fitness standards, one wondered why Hampshire`s water-absorb- ing machines had not been brought the short distance from the County Ground at Southamp- ton. As usual, the problem was muddy patches on the wicket-ends ei- ther side of the match pitch and had the two `Whales` in Hampshire`s possession been available, they can only have in- creased the chances of a little more cricket. Navy blankets were used to mop up instead: I trust the junior ratings were not too cold or damp last night. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Kent kept at bay by Udal By Pat Symes at Portsmouth Third day of four: Kent (182-1) trail Hampshire (406) by 224 runs SOME imaginative and enterprising captaincy is going to be needed today if Kent are to maintain their challenge for the title and regain the initiative they lost to Hampshire`s late-or- der resistance, redeemed only partially by Ed Smith`s maiden championship cen- tury. A ninth-wicket stand of 113 between Shaun Udal and Simon Ren- shaw prevented Kent claiming maximum bowling points and al- lowed Hampshire to build a more substantial first-innings total than they could have expected. With 122 overs lost to rain over the first two days, Kent needed to finish off Hampshire rapidly but, without the injured Martin McCague, their attack laboured. Dean Headley, who took three wickets on the second day, was unable to discover the same length, line and direction and it was the gentler pace of Ben Phillips which provided four of the last five wickets. Adrian Aymes chopped on and John Stephenson followed to a reg- ulation catch behind, but not before recording 76, his sec- ond-best score of the championship season. When Lee Savident fended Headley to gully, Hampshire were 279 for eight. Then Udal was joined by Renshaw, who enjoys his batting at No 10, in a partnership of increasing frustration to Kent. Paul Strang`s missed catch at third slip when Udal had scored 19 proved costly. Udal went on to make 91 with 14 boundaries and with growing authority until he lobbed Phillips to mid-on but by then Hampshire were on their way to a powerful 406. Smith and David Fulton accelerated from a stodgy pre-tea start as the openers whittled away the deficit in a stand of 170, Smith`s classy 102 off 162 balls surely the precursor of many more. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Ward leads quest for batting points By Peter Roebuck at Portsmouth Kent (350-8 dec) drew with Hampshire (406) AN entire life can be spent waiting for boggy cricket fields to dry. Groundsmen with pitchforks poke at muddy footholes as the big roller sits idly by like a hippopotamus waiting for lunch. Naturally Kent were, by some distance, sorry that play could not begin before 3pm. It has been a hard season for Hampshire, whose captain considers his bowling so weak that it could not defend 380 on this final day, a mooted target. All that was left was a scramble for batting points in the 43 overs remaining once the run-ups had hardened. As soon as play started Kent went in hot pursuit of the 168 runs and four points they need- ed to catch Glamorgan. David Fulton and Trevor Ward immediately struck boundaries against some routine work from a depleted attack. Fulton fell as he drove at John Stephenson, a beleaguered home cap- tain whose action has gone to pieces and who later departed with a strained muscle. Un- surprisingly the hosts intend to sign a bowler as their over- seas player next year. Fortunately for Kent Ward was in belligerent mood, twice cart- ing Shaun Udal over the boundary. Alan Wells joined him and soon Kent were hurrying along, helped by a liberal supply of no- balls. As Kent moved near their target a flurry of wickets suddenly fell, Wells held at long-on, Ward skying a hook, Cowdrey cutting to cover and Fleming sending to gully. Kent were left struggling to se- cure a fourth and possibly crucial batting point. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)