Kent were thwarted by Gloucestershire’s Australian Test all-rounder Cameron Green for the second time this season on Saturday.
Green scored an unbeaten 102, his second century against Kent in a matter of weeks, to move the hosts into a favourable position of their Rothesay County Championship clash in Bristol.
The 25-year-old scored 112 at Canterbury last month but followed that up with just 17 runs in his next four innings.
However, he helped Gloucestershire recover from 139-4 in reply to Kent’s first innings total of 424 all out. They were 307-4, just 117 runs behind, at the close with six wickets still in hand as Green put on 168 with James Bracey.
Kent head coach Adam Hollioake said: “It was a tough last session and Cameron Green played brilliantly, just as he did at our place last month. He’s a world-class player.
“What we know about this wicket is that it’s a new ball wicket and, after 30 or 40 overs, it becomes a lot easier to bat on. You have to be smart, keep things tight and wait for the batsman to make a mistake.
“The batsmen have not made mistakes and that is why there have been such large partnerships and the two days have followed a similar trend. The mood in the dressing room is neither high nor low – they are just tired. I’m proud of them because they’ve shown great character and application.
“The first hour tomorrow is our chance to do a bit of damage and make inroads. Gloucestershire will want to get a lead, but we’ll be happy if we can finish up level with them.”
Loan signing Jake Ball took 2-67 and Nathan Gilchrist and Grant Stewart claimed a wicket apiece as Kent applied themselves diligently in the field, but the visitors will have to make the new ball count in the morning if they are to shift pressure back onto their opponents in a contest which looks increasingly likely to end in a draw.
Resuming their first innings on 386-6, Kent had earlier lost their last four wickets for the addition of 38 runs, Ajeet Singh Dale returning career-best figures of 7-110 from 26 overs. He accounted for Stewart and Chris Benjamin, who scored 182 and 93 respectively in a partnership of 264.
Singh Dale claimed his first five-wicket haul of the season in his third over from the Ashley Down Road end, inducing Stewart to play a tired shot and edge to second slip on 182.
Benjamin, who was 94 not out in the first innings against Glamorgan last week, departed soon afterwards, attempting to drive Singh Dale and nicking to wicketkeeper Bracey for 93.
Singh Dale found Ball’s outside edge to reduce the visitors to 414-9 and was denied an eighth victim when Zaman Akhter removed Kashif Ali for 10 to bring the innings to a close.
Gloucestershire openers Cameron Bancroft and Ben Charlesworth encountered few problems on an essentially flat surface as they safely negotiated 12 overs to reach lunch on 48-0.
But there was just enough assistance from the pitch to keep the Kent seamers interested and Stewart effected a breakthrough early in the second session, Bancroft (26) prodding defensively outside off stump to slip.
Gloucestershire’s progress was smooth until Charlesworth fell into a trap set for him, pulling a short-pitched delivery from Ball to deep backward square for 41 and Gloucestershire were 99-2.
When they last batted together, Ollie Price and Miles Hammond put on 203 for the third wicket in a drawn match against Lancashire. Still in good touch following his career-best 253 at Old Trafford, Price played some glorious shots in reaching, only to be pinned lbw by Gilchrist with the score 119-3.
Kent were on a roll when Hammond fell for 18 soon afterwards, playing a back-foot defensive shot off Ball to Tawanda Muyeye at first slip. Gloucestershire were 139-4 and under mounting pressure, still 285 behind.
Green and Bracey ensured the home side reached the tea interval without further mishap on 156-4 and these two continued to build steadily as conditions eased in the final session.
Report from ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
