Compton puts Kent on top against Gloucestershire

Rothesay County Championship, Division Two, St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury (day two)

Gloucestershire 229: Bracey 86; Milnes 4-55 & 61-2: Hammond 33*

Kent 353: Compton 126, Bell-Drummond 55; Langridge 3-105

Gloucestershire (3 pts) trail Kent (6 pts) by 63 runs with eight wickets standing

Match scorecard

Kent took a tentative stride towards promotion from Division Two of the County Championship on day two of their game with Gloucestershire at Canterbury.

Ben Compton hit 126 as Kent posted 353 to lead by 124 after the first innings.

Daniel Bell-Drummond was the next highest scorer with 55 and Matt Milnes then took two wickets reduce Gloucestershire to 13-2, although they recovered to 61-2 by stumps, to trail by 63.

Knowing a win would guarantee promotion, Kent resumed on 71-1, but Langridge dismissed Sam Northeast with the very first ball of the day, getting a leading edge that flew to gully and he then had Tawanda Muyeye lbw for 11.

Che Simmons was struggling with no balls however, and one of them robbed him of a wicket when Compton nicked him behind.

Kent were luckier still when Bell-Drummond slashed at Sai Kishore and Ollie Price dropped him at second slip, leaving the hosts on 183-3 at lunch.

Kishore looked menacing and got Bell-Drummond when he tried to whip him through mid-wicket, thanks to an outstanding catch by Joe Phillips.

Chris Benjamin drove Matt Taylor to put Kent in the lead but fell soon afterwards, when Kishore bowled him with one that turned sharply and hit middle.

Compton, who had not passed double figures in previous six innings, vindicated Kent's faith in him by clinching his century when he clipped Langridge for four, but he then started to run out of partners.

Daaryoush Ahmed ended Ekansh Singh's lively innings for 31 when stand-in keeper Miles Hammond took a brilliant diving catch and Milnes made just five when he edged Ahmed to sub Ed Middleton at second slip.

Three balls from the scheduled tea interval, Taylor had Compton caught behind, but the lead was already 97.

Matt Quinn made 12 before Simmons had him caught at cover by Tom Boorman and then wrapped up the innings with Khaled Ahmed lbw for a duck.

It left the visitors with 22 overs to face and Milnes had Joe Phillips caught by Muyeye off the very first ball of Gloucestershire's second innings.

He then sent Ollie Price's middle stump cartwheeling for nine, but Tom Boorman and Hammond prevented further damage, ending the day on 11 and 33 respectively.

ECB Reporters' Network supported by Rothesay.