Kent take control

Andrew Hall claimed five wickets for Kent at Whitgift

Five wickets from Andrew Hall, a century from Martin Van Jaarsveld and a sparkling 85 from Joe Denly put Kent in a strong position following the second day of the LV County Championship with Surrey at Whitgift School.

Hall was in superb form with the ball and finished with figures of 5-59 - the first time he has taken five wickets in the championship - as Surrey were dismissed for a first-innings total of 166 with pace bowler Matt Nicholson top scoring with an unbeaten 48.

In reply, despite losing the early wicket of Robert Key (six) both Denly and Van Jaarsveld dominated the Surrey attack sharing a stand of 161 in 38 overs as Kent finished the day on 269-3 giving them a first innings lead of 103.

Denly had been fortunate to survive a couple of chances having been dropped on 21 and 48. However, he made the most of those and went on to complete his 50 in the 23rd over.

Unfortunately for the right-hander he fell 15 runs short of his century, bowled by a Rikki Clarke yorker. He had faced 126 balls with 15 fours.
Van Jaarsveld went on to complete his century in the 53rd over from 140 balls with 15 fours and two sixes.

The South African did survive a drop catch from Scott Newman when on 89 and was unbeaten on 127 at the close.

Martin Van Jaarsveld went to three figures © Getty Images

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Nayan Doshi snapped up the wicket of James Tredwell just before the end for 17, superbly stumped down the leg side.

Earlier, having resumed on 18 for one overnight, Mark Ramprakash and Jonathan Batty steered their way to 50 before Batty (nine) pushed forward to Hall and was brilliantly caught by Geraint Jones diving full-length.

A further 12 runs were added before Surrey captain Mark Butcher gave a regulation catch to Van Jaarsveld having scored a solitary boundary.

Having survived an earlier chance Ramprakash was eventually dismissed in the 21st over for 35 caught off an inside edge from an attempted drive.

With the score on 82, Clarke (one) played on giving Yasir Arafat his second wicket and he soon followed that with the wicket of Ian Salisbury (six) as Surrey struggled to 88 for seven.

A stand of 30 between Nicholson and Neil Saker pushed the total past 100 before Saker (six) fell in Ryan McLaren's first over.

Doshi dropped by Matt Walker on nought, fell for 13 as Nicholson continued to play some delightful shots both sides of the wicket.

Tredwell picked up his third catch of the day soon after as Mohammed Akram was the last man out for four.

Kent's Matt Walker will take no further part in the match after picking up a cut to his thumb, which required nine stitches when spilling the earlier catch.