Date-stamped : 21 Aug95 - 14:30
SUNLG: Middlesex v Kent, Lord's, 20 August 1995

Cowdrey spearheads the Kent recovery act - D. J. Rutnagur

Kent (219-7) bt Middlesex (173) by 46 runs

GRAHAM COWDREY not only called a  halt  to  a  dreadful  collapse
triggered  off  by  a  wanton  shot  by  Mark  Ealham but, with a
robustly-made century, boosted Kent to a total which,  despite  a
rollicking opening stand of 81 between Paul Weekes and Jason Poo-
ley, proved well beyond the scope of a Gattingless Middlesex.

By his standards, Aravinda de Silva made only a  minor  contribu-
tion as batsman but, with the capture of four wickets for 28 with
guileful use of his off-breaks,  snuffed  out Middlesex`s   chal-
lenge.  Victory,  their  fourth in a row, kept Kent secure at the
head of the table.

Despite the cheap dismissal of Trevor Ward at the  start  of  the
innings  and the two blows Philip Tufnell struck in quick succes-
sion to remove Matthew Fleming and de Silva, at 59  and 63,   the
Kent  innings  was  beating a healthy pulse when Angus Fraser re-
turned for his second spell, with 16 overs of the innings remain-
ing.

Fraser struck thrice in his first over.  To  the  first  ball  he
faced  from  him,  Ealham who, with Cowdrey had put on 61 for the
fourth wicket, charged out and played a rustic cross-batted  shot
which would have been excused only if played off the last ball of
the final over.

Then, at the same score of  124,  left-handers  Nigel  Llong  and
Matthew  Walker  were  caught  behind,  Walker off a particularly
deadly ball which bounced as it left him. Cowdrey, who  had  been
rattling  the sabre already, hoisting young Umer Rashid for three
of his five sixes in one over, played Fraser with  respect  until
the end of his stint.

In the nine remaining overs, however, Kent added 79 crucial runs,
with  Cowdrey  running  rampant against Weekes and Dion Nash. His
ally was Steve Marsh, who kept him company for 13 overs while  75
were  added  for the seventh wicket.  Cowdrey, who also hit seven
fours, completed his thrilling  and chanceless  century  in   the
penultimate over, off 81 balls.

A spate of wides and leg-byes contributed  to  the  impetus  with
which Weekes and Pooley launched Middlesex`s reply.  They were in
touch with the asking rate when de Silva broke the stand  in  the
15th over, his first. Weekes was caught behind reverse sweeping.

Pooley, driving powerfully in the arc between extra cover and mid
on,  reached  50 off 63 balls. He was lucky to survive two diffi-
cult chances, however. At 17, a sizzling square-cut at Dean Head-
ley  escaped Llong`s grasp and then at 46 Ward, sprinting in from
deep midwicket, nearly brought off a superb catch off de Silva.

The catch that Walker took at long off to dismiss Ramprakash  was
in  the same category. He dived to scoop the ball up, inches from
the turf. At that point Middlesex were  118  for  three.   Pooley
had gone  two  overs  earlier, lbw while trying to sweep Llong on
the pick up.

Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk)
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