A sublime partnership between Tawanda Muyeye and Ben Compton helped Kent to a second straight County Championship Division 2 win as they beat Middlesex in Canterbury on Sunday.
Left chasing 316 for a first competitive home victory of the summer, both finished on unbeaten tons in an unbroken 225-run stand which saw Adam Hollioake’s outfit to an eight-wicket victory.
Hollioake said: “It’s early season so we’re not patting ourselves on the back just yet.
“But you can’t do any more than be two from two so we’re happy.”
As Kent started day three needing a further four second-innings away wickets, they stuck with Jack Leaning’s spin (2-32), which reaped rewards in the first 10 minutes of play.
Ben Geddes went for 75 when his attempted slog-sweep was pounced by Joey Evison on the leg-side boundary.
Zafar Gohar and Blake Cullen then put on a valuable 42-run stand, only for the latter to be caught by captain Daniel Bell-Drummond off Grant Stewart (3-52) for 22, before captain Toby Roland-Jones was trapped for a fifth-ball duck by Italian international Stewart.
That left Middlesex on 272-9 – a lead of 276 runs.
But Pakistan international Gohar continued to frustrate the home faithful. A big leg-side maximum off Nathan Gilchrist (3-86) took their lead beyond the 300-run mark, bringing up his half-century from the next ball with a single through the offside.
Gohar’s fun was finally ended shortly before lunch, however, when he sliced Gilchrist to Jas Singh (1-46) at third man.
Hollioake said: “The guys who are going to take all the highlights, I would have thought, would be Tawanda and Ben.
“But that was set up by our bowling in third innings, really.
“The wicket went quite flat, but our bowlers stuck at it. Like I said at the beginning of the year, I can’t guarantee we’re going to win every game.
“I can’t promise that we’ll be better than the other sides. But what I can promise is we will turn up with a good attitude, and that’s what we had in that third innings.
“It required them to dig deep, have character and they did that.”
The hosts’ opening batsmen provided them with the perfect platform to what seemed a tough run-chase as they cruised to 50-0 inside the 13th over thanks to a drive through the covers by Compton from Cullen’s bowling (0-39).
But it was England Test player Zak Crawley, who had offered a mere 32 in his first three innings for Kent this summer, who initially led the way in trademark aggressive fashion. His half-century came from 60 balls and had included eight fours and a six.
The 27-year-old had moved nicely to 58 before he was bowled by Gohar (2-91), having come down the track to him.
Moments later, Gohar, 30, was left on a hat-trick as he skittled Bell-Drummond for a golden duck to shift the momentum back towards Middlesex at 91-2.
But Compton and Muyeye dug in well – and ended up seeing them across the line. The former made it to his 50 through a leg-side boundary off Ryan Higgins (0-32).
That left Kent 164-2 at tea, needing a further 152 runs to win.
Muyeye was the next home player to reach his half-century as he offered five fours and a six in 71 balls to get to the milestone.
With the victory line starting to come into sight, 24-year-old Muyeye moved Kent past the 200-run mark with a maximum from Henry Brookes (0-70) and backed that up with another four.
Compton, 31, was also scoring at a faster rate than usual and a lovely cover drive at the end of the 47th over ensured Kent required less than 100 runs.
The match then entered a lull, which saw Cullen sticking to mostly bowling some short stuff, but that couldn’t prevent the stand between Muyeye and Compton going past the 150-run mark.
A quick two shortly before 5.45pm took the flamboyant Muyeye to only a third first-class century.
And just under 15 minutes later, Compton, who had come closing to running out his partner at the end of the previous over, cut Gohar for four to bring up his 14th first-class century.
Both now appeared eager to finish the match in a hurry as the partnership moved 200 – which made it a record third-wicket stand against Middlesex – and it started raining sixes.
It surpassed the 196-run partnership stalwart David Fulton and former head coach Matt Walker had shared together in 2006 and a similar stand in 1951.
It was also a first red-ball home triumph for Kent since an opening-round seven-wicket win against Northamptonshire in April 2023.
Shortly after 6.15pm, Compton clipped a winning single through the leg-side to joyous scenes.
It meant he finished on 124 not out from 196 deliveries – one behind Muyeye, who offered 13 boundaries and five maximums in his knock.
Muyeye said: “I think the game was in the balance when I went into bat.
“Zak’s start was unreal with Compo. That, obviously, gave the foundations.
“So when I went in, I was pretty calm and pretty happy to go about my innings, and I bounced off Compo.
“He batted outstandingly and let me by myself.”
Kent will take on Gloucestershire at Canterbury from Friday.
