County Championship: Northants frustrated at Kent by rain and Compton ton

Northamptonshire were frustrated by the rain on the final day of their County Championship match with Kent at Canterbury, which ended in a draw.

The visitors took two early wickets in the morning session to reduce Kent to 179-5, but they were unable to make further inroads before rain stopped play at 12.30pm. When play finally resumed Ben Compton and Daniel Bell-Drummond batted for 14 overs to secure the draw.

The visitors’ Harry Conway finished with match figures of 7-95. Compton was unbeaten on 114 at stumps, while Bell-Drummond was 36 not out.

Kent’s chances had looked slim when they resumed on 162-3 overnight, with Compton unbeaten on 70 and the night-watcher Singh on 0.

Singh was the first to go, trying to fend off a Conway bouncer and gloving it behind for two. Sanderson then removed Tawanda Muyeye, lbw for four, but Bell-Drummond joined Compton and batted through until the rain forced an early lunch, with Kent on 231-5.

Compton was stranded on 99 and play didn’t resume until 5.05pm, with 60 overs lost.

When the match finally did get back under way Compton looked vulnerable to the first three deliveries he faced, but after he took a single from Harrison to reach three figures there were few serious alarms. The players shook hands on the draw at 5.55pm.

Report by ECB Reporters’ Network, supported by Rothesay.