Defeat on the final day looks inevitable for Kent after champions Surrey pressed home their advantage on day three of their Vitality County Championship clash at Canterbury.
Kent closed the day on 120-5 in their second innings, still trailing by 179 runs.
Dan Worrall took 3-18 as the champions rattled through Kent’s top order after declaring on 543-7.
Matt Parkinson took 5-177 for Kent as Surrey hit out during a punishing afternoon session for the home side, to take a first-innings lead of 299. Dom Sibley made 150, Dan Lawrence hit 112 and Jamie Smith weighed in with a quickfire 58.
Ben Compton and Joey Evison were not out on eight and seven respectively at stumps, but with the forecast for clear skies tomorrow Kent will need something close to a miracle to escape with a draw on day four.
Sibley and Lawrence both reached their centuries by the time Kent opted not to take the new ball after 80 overs and Parkinson vindicated the decision when he bowled Lawrence with the very next delivery.
The afternoon session was significantly livelier. Sibley had just reached 150 when he was given out caught and bowled to Parkinson.
Ben Foakes then made a rapid 24 from 20 balls but he was caught behind slashing at George Garrett.
Smith was on 37 when he hooked Jas Singh to square leg, but sub fielder Fred Klaassen couldn’t haul in the catch.
Smith responded with a six off Parkinson that flew on to the upper balcony of the Cowdrey stand and he reached his half-century when he swept the next delivery for a single. But he then fell in Parkinson’s next over, caught at long-on by Arafat Bhuiyan.
Parkinson got his fourth wicket when Ryan Patel drove him to Garrett at mid-wicket for 30 before Jordan Clark hit him to Joe Denly at the mid-wicket boundary, giving him his first five-wicket haul for Kent.
Surrey finally declared at tea and with Ben Compton off the field due to a sore neck, Harry Finch opened the batting alongside Zak Crawley.
The England opener contributed just four before he edged Worrall behind to become Foakes’ 300th first class victim for Surrey.
Worrall then sent Daniel Bell-Drummond’s middle stump flying for 10 and Finch went for an entertaining but brief 24 when he was lbw to Jordan Clark.
Joe Denly made 38 but then prodded Cameron Steel to Smith at mid-wicket, before Worrall had Jack Leaning caught at slip by Sibley for 24.
There were ironic cheers when Compton got off the mark after 30 balls, but if anyone can thwart Surrey on the final day it’s a man who values his wicket this dearly.
“Obviously, Surrey are a great side,” said Parkinson. “It all stemmed from day one really, we probably could have posted more than 240, but that said I thought the lads bowled all right.
“I thought we stuck at it quite well, it’s a flat pitch and we had a few injuries as well so to have a fairly young seam attack I thought the boys tried hard.
“I wouldn’t say it was nice (to get his first five-wicket haul for Kent) after today. It was more bittersweet. I think it’s been coming out nice all season, it’s just we’ve never been in a position to push the game forward in the first three games. We’ve been on the back foot so it was nice to get five wickets but it was a tough day as well.
“The opening bowlers for Surrey, Worrall and Roach are class aren’t they? They probably showed our young lads how to bowl on there really. They bowled well and when you’re trailing by 300 and you’ve got a sticky 20-over session it’s never fun.”
(On settling in Kent) “I’m loving but it’s cold isn’t it? I was promised warm weather when I signed the contract, I may have to speak to Paul (Downton) about that but it’s a fantastic group. It’s very different to Lancashire and I’ve loved it. I feel valued, I feel my opinions are valued.
“It is a (young group). That was one of the pulls to come here. I felt Lancashire was an old group and you never quite felt that your voice is heard as much. Obviously, here it’s a very young squad and even some of the boys that are older haven’t played a great deal so I guess it’s up to myself and Deebs, Jack Leaning, Joe Denly and Zak when he’s around to help the young lads.”
