Kent and Somerset look to be heading for a draw in Division 1 of the Vitality County Championship at Canterbury after the visitors reached 374-7 at stumps on day three on Sunday.
Tom Lammonby hit 90 and Matt Renshaw 66 as the visitors survived an early-evening wobble to overhaul Kent’s first-innings score of 284.
Kent debutants George Garett and Matt Parkinson took 2-61 and 2-116 respectively, but a stand of 101 between Kasey Aldridge and James Rew gave Somerset a potentially useful lead of 90 runs.
Aldridge was unbeaten on 50 while Rew made 57 before he was out in surreal circumstances.
Garrett said: “It was a cool feeling today, getting that first wicket. A lot of hard work has gone into that.
“After the uncertainty of being released by Warwickshire, I came to Kent and they gave me a chance so, to get that first wicket under my belt, that’s awesome.”
The draw always looked the most likely outcome after 119 overs were lost to the elements on days one and two but, if the home side were going to force the issue, they needed to exploit the new ball.
They couldn’t. Former Kent batsman Sean Dickson was on four when he edged Wes Agar (1-45) between second and third slips, but both Daniel Bell-Drummond and Jack Leaning went for the catch and neither managed to hang on.
Dickson failed to cash in, though, edging Garrett to Leaning for 17. That was the only bright moment for the hosts in an otherwise joyless morning session that ended with Somerset on 108-1.
Lammonby played with restrained elegance, although he reached his 50 with a streakily edged four off Garrett.
Renshaw was then dropped on 58 off Parkinson when Joe Denly couldn’t hang on to a diving chance at mid-on. Parkinson, however, broke through in his next over, conjuring a ball that pitched outside off and spun viciously back into Renshaw’s middle stump.
If that was the only wicket of the afternoon session, Parkinson’s unbroken 25-over spell at least offered home fans hope this season might offer something more than the toil of the previous campaign.
He lobbed in the occasional bad ball but always looked like making something happen and, in the second over after tea, he duped Lammonby into a swipe which was grabbed by Ben Compton at square leg.
A mini-collapse ensued as Tom Banton smacked Garrett for six but was caught behind off the next ball for 28.
On that wicket, Garrett said: “Banton hit me for six the ball before and I thought ‘Oh jeez I’m on it here’ – but I just rolled my fingers down it and managed to nick one.
“It’s one of those wickets where it’s hard work for a bowler, especially with the Kookaburra ball.
“You’ve got to really stick in for long periods of time, so credit to Somerset because they bounced back.”
Lewis Goldsworthy fell to the new ball, as he drove Nathan Gilchrist (1-48) to Joey Evison at extra cover for 35.
Lewis Gregory made just one when he cut Agar to Bell-Drummond and, at that point, the visitors were on 255-6.
But Aldridge and Rew exploited some average fielding to push Somerset into the lead and give them their first score of more than 300 in the first innings of a summer since 2014.
The torpor of the late evening was summed up when a man on a mobility scooter dawdled in front of the sight screens and Rew fell to the very next ball, skying Leaning (1-47) almost vertically before he was caught by wicketkeeper Harry Finch.
Aldridge then brought up his half-century when he took a single off the final ball of the day from Leaning.
Garrett said: “Division 1 cricket is hard and I’m remembering what it’s like. There are a lot of good sides out there and you’ve got to play until 6.30pm.
“Tomorrow, we’ve got to come back and knock them over. I think they’re going to come hard at us first thing to get their bonus points and I think we can get a couple, too, so it’s a cliché in cricket but I think that first hour is massive.
“The guys were surprised when I said it was only my fifth first-class game.
“Warwickshire didn’t hand me that much of an opportunity and some of that through no fault of my own I felt, so it’s good to be here and a part of a squad where I know I’m going to be valued and I’m going to play.
“There’s always nerves but I’m 24 now. I’ve got a bit of experience and, speaking to Deebs (Bell-Drummond) at mid-off, he’s a very calming influence.
“When you’re under the pump, you’ve got to stick to what you’re good at so, when that ball went to Jack, it was a nice relief.”
