CricInfo Championship: Kent v Glamorgan at Maidstone, 13-16 Jun 2001 CricInfo Live Report

CricInfo Championship: Kent v Glamorgan at Maidstone, 13-16 Jun 2001
Mark Pennell

Glamorgan 2nd innings: Stumps - Day 3,
Kent 2nd innings: Lunch - Day 3,
Live Reports from previous days

SMITH TON PUTS KENT IN COMMANDING POSITION

Former Cambridge Blue Ed Smith scored his second Championship century of the summer and took his match aggregate to 190 to put Kent into a commanding position going into the final day of their clash with Glamorgan in Maidstone.

Smith became the fourth Kent batsman to pass 500 runs for the season as the hosts recorded 358 in their second innings for an overall lead in the match of 376.

Glamorgan reached 36 without loss after 12 overs by the close, but will have to bat well on the final day to score the 341 runs required on a Mote pitch that is starting to help the spinners.

Indeed, but for Dean Cosker's haul of three for 93, Glamorgan may not have been in with a victory chance whatsoever.

The Welsh left-arm spinner ended Smith's 190-ball stay to a catch at the wicket by Mark Wallace, the Glamorgan stand-in keeper who claimed eight catches in the match after his first-morning call-up - just one catch short of Colin Metson's club record.

Smith had featured in a fourth-wicket stand worth 108 with Matthew Walker and then a further partnership of 52 with Paul Nixon before Kent's tail crumbled.

Cosker also accounted for Walker, who went for 53 after misjudging a sweep, having earlier sent back Kent opener David Fulton (43) after he chopped on to his own stumps.

Darren Thomas was rewarded for his unstinting work on a pretty flat pitch with a haul of four for 84, the last of which was the scalp of home skipper Matthew Fleming (46) who picked out third man with an upper-cut over the slips

KENT MAKE STEADY PROGRESS AT MAIDSTONE

Kent batted steadily throughout the third morning session of the match to extend their lead over Glamorgan to 191 on what remains and excellent pitch at The Mote.

The Hop County went into lunch on 173 for three, with Ed Smith on 53 and Matthew Walker on 36, having put on 76 for the fourth wicket.

Glamorgan claimed just two wickets in the 135-minute session, the first of them that of Kent nightwatchman Martin Saggers.

Having added a single to his overnight four, Saggers drove airily at Darren Thomas to edge through to wicket-keeper Mark Wallace.

Opening bat David Fulton moved past 800 runs for the first-class season during his 119-minute stay that came to an end with his score on 45.

Attempting to run the ball down to third man off a full-length delivery from Dean Cosker, Fulton only succeeded in chopping on to his own stumps.

With Cosker turning the occasional delivery quite sharply, Kent will happily promote their left-arm spinner Min Patel as a potential match-winner should they manage to extend their lead beyond 250.