County Championship: Kent’s Ben Compton hits 178 against Glos before rain arrives

Gloucestershire reached 112-2 in the second innings of their County Championship game with Kent on Sunday, giving them a lead of 191.

Ben Charlesworth was their top scorer with 58, but bad light halted play with 36 overs remaining and the forecast for tomorrow suggests a draw is probable.

Earlier Ben Compton hit his highest Kent score of 178 as the hosts made 393, a first innings deficit of 79.

Kent were 318-7 when play began in Baltic conditions, with the lights on and in front a meagre crowd.

Compton was on 144 overnight and had only moved to 148 when he flashed at Marchant de Lange and was dropped by Cameron Green at first slip. He swatted the next ball to the midwicket boundary to pass 150, but Jas Singh produced just one elegant cover drive for four before being caught behind off Matt Taylor for five.

Taylor was denied a second wicket when Kashif Ali hit him straight into Miles Hammond’s chest at short leg and Kashif somehow survived for 89 balls to make 34 not out, including a six he swept off Ollie Price that sailed over cow corner.

He put on a stand of 60 with Compton, who finally went when he charged down the wicket to Graeme van Buuren and was stumped by James Bracey. Nathan Gilchrist lasted just eight balls before he was lbw to the same bowler for one, leaving Kent seven short of an additional batting point.

Ben Charlesworth was on 17 when he edged Jas Singh, but Chris Benjamin, keeping in place of Harry Finch who has a broken finger, put the chance down.

Cameron Bancroft went lbw to Joey Evison for 22 and Jack Leaning had Charlesworth caught by Zak Crawley at cover.

Light rain then began to fall but the players stayed out until 15:50 BST when the light deteriorated to the point that the umpires called an early tea.

Rainfall prevented a resumption and play was abandoned for the day at 17:18.

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