Kent are firmly in the driving seat after 17 wickets fell on the opening day of their Rothesay County Championship match against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.
Tawanda Muyeye scored a sparking 72 before a batting collapse saw Kent all out for 231.
But their bowling attack delivered in the final session, taking seven Northamptonshire wickets despite a defiant unbeaten half-century from Rob Keogh.
Muyeye said: “It was hard work, but it was quite rewarding to get some runs. It was probably worth more than 70 on that pitch but I enjoyed myself today.
“I think initially it was disappointing to be bowled out. But I think when we went on to bowl on that pitch, we realised that 230 is probably 300 on there. As a batting group, obviously, it’s not ideal to get 230 but I think for this pitch, it’s a pretty decent score,
“That’s the best performance I’ve seen in a very long time from our bowlers. Just from the get-go, everyone just seemed to pretty much be bouncing off each other and just working hard together as a group.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve been together on the pitch and bringing all the energy together. So that was pretty fun, being around the bowlers when they’re bowling like that.
“Working with Adam Hollioake as head coach has been good. He brings a lot of energy. Big character, obviously. He’s just been so infectious on all of us. It’s new start for everyone, a new start for him, a new start for us.
“We’re all just enjoying the space that we’re in and enjoying our cricket. The main thing he’s trying to get out of us is just enjoy your cricket.”
The day started with the cheap wicket of Kent’s England opener Zak Crawley for just one in the third over, bowled by Australian Liam Guthrie as he tried an expansive drive through the covers.
Kent skipper Daniel Bell-Drummond (16) was caught behind pushing outside off-stump to give Guthrie his second scalp. Justin Broad then accounted for Ben Compton (12) with a full delivery which nipped back and knocked over off-stump.
From 60-3, Kent started to find their groove. Muyeye clipped Luke Procter off his legs for his first boundary and played a sumptuous drive off Broad.
Some wayward bowling before lunch was harshly punished with Jack Leaning taking three boundaries off one over from Dominic Leech. Muyeye dispatched Guthrie for consecutive fours before a glorious cover drive off Weatherall brought up a fluent half-century off just 60 balls.
After lunch Northamptonshire temporarily put the brake on scoring with Guthrie almost picking up Muyeye on 57, but James Sales could not hold on at first slip.
Runs started flowing again though as the Kent pair brought up their 100 stand, before Raphael Weatherall’s triple breakthrough. Finding plenty of bounce and movement, the 20-year-old showed off the extra yard of pace he added during the winter.
First Leaning (40) played down the wrong line and was caught behind. In his next over Weatherall speared one back in to send Muyeye’s off-stump cartwheeling.
In between Joey Evison fell to a needless run out for two thanks to a relay effort between Procter and Broad with a direct hit.
With the first ball of his next over, Weatherall hit the top off Grant Stewart’s off-stump. He almost picked up Keith Dudgeon later in the over but Broad shelled an easy chance at third slip. The Kent collapse continued when Leech had Harry Finch caught in the slips for 16.
Dudgeon (26) and Jas Singh staged a late fightback, adding 34 for the ninth wicket, before left-arm spinner Saif Zaib claimed the final two wickets in two balls.
Northants conceded 38 extras as Kent were all out for 231 in 62.5 overs.
In reply, Procter took consecutive boundaries off each of Nathan Gilchrist’s first two overs, but Northamptonshire lost an early wicket during a testing spell from South African paceman Dudgeon who bowled Ricardo Vasconcelos, breaking middle stump in the process. Procter (21) was next to go when Stewart bowled him with his first delivery to make it 34-2.
Kent’s bowlers continued to build pressure, but the next wicket fell to a strangle down the leg side when George Bartlett was caught behind off Stewart (2-14) for 13. Sales (4) then clipped Singh straight to Evison at short mid-wicket to leave the hosts 41-4.
Zaib was well bowled by Gilchrist and while Lewis McManus played his shots, he departed in similar fashion to Sales, this time off Evison. Singh (2-26) picked up Broad without scoring just before stumps.
Keogh battled hard after being struck on the hand. He played some attractive shots, pulling, clipping nicely off his legs and swotting Gilchrist through mid-wicket. He’ll resume in the morning unbeaten on 53.
Report via ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
