Kent’s Rothesay County Championship Division 2 match against Derbyshire at Canterbury is finely poised after day two.
The hosts reached 38-2 in their second innings to lead by 86 runs after bowling out Derbyshire for 304 with Keith Dudgeon taking four wickets.
South African Dudgeon said: “It was nice to find a bit of rhythm again. I feel like I’ve struggled in the last two games to put some spells together, but it was nice to put a couple of spells consecutively together.
“I enjoyed it, we’ve had some good crowds on both days, and I do feel at home, so long may it continue.
“I think there’s always something in the wicket. I do think that the nip maybe slowed down a touch, but with the speed of the outfield and the speed of the wicket, there was always something in it for bat and ball.
“I do really enjoy the club, and the group of guys, coaching staff, management, even everyone in the office. I do feel very welcome, so that makes it (coming back after last year’s ACL injury) a lot easier.”
Derbyshire began the second day on 24-0 but Dudgeon (4-78) removed both overnight batters cheaply.
Caleb Jewell was the first to go, caught by Tawanda Muyeye at third slip, for 12. It was then 39-2 when Harry Came edged to Sam Northeast at second slip for 27.
Matthew Montgomery was looking good until Matt Milnes (3-87) got him lbw for 19 and there was a useful stand of 58 between Wayne Madsen and Martin Andersson that was broken when Dudgeon had the former caught by Muyeye for 35.
It was 137-5 soon after lunch when Andersson went for 37, pulling a waist-high full toss from Ekansh Singh to Joey Evison, who produced a brilliant catch on the boundary.
Joey Evison had Brooke Guest lbw for 28 and it was 203-7 when Zak Chappell was caught behind off Milnes for 11.
Ben Aitchison made a useful 26 before he spooned Jas Singh to Northeast and Dudgeon switched to the Nackington Road End to trap Rory Haydon in front for a duck.
However, Luis Reece, who made a career-best 211 here last year, passed fifty with a six off Jas Singh that flew over backward square and then twice gave Milnes the same treatment as the last pair chipped away at Kent’s lead.
Milnes eventually got Reece caught behind for 84, but Derbyshire had wrestled back some of the momentum as they put on 56 for the last wicket, Shoaib Bashir ending on 12 not out.
In Kent’s second innings, Jewell missed a difficult chance to catch Zak Crawley at cover when he drove at Haydon on 11. Crawley crunched the following ball for four, but was lbw to the next and departed for 15 to leave Kent 30-1.
Opener partner Ben Dawkins was then trapped in front by Haydon for 11. Northeast and Muyeye were both unbeaten on four when rain forced an early finish with 23 overs still due to be bowled at that stage.
Report via ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
