Kent v Worcestershire: Jack Leaning bats all day to defy Pears

Jack Leaning’s dogged unbeaten 152 gave Kent a fighting chance of saving their County Championship Division One match with Worcestershire at Canterbury.

After steering the hosts to 362-8 at stumps, they still trail by 256 but Yorkshire old boy Leaning batted through all three sessions and Beyers Swanepoel made 54 on his debut to boost home hopes of grinding out a draw.

Another former Yorkshire player Matthew Waite took 3-51 but, on a pitch that offered little joy for the bowlers, Worcestershire took just six wickets during a sapping day.

Leaning reached 50 for the first time in 11 first-class innings when he cut Nathan Smith through backward point for two, but Waite then produced a twin jab that briefly left Kent reeling.

He bowled Daniel Bell-Drummond for 67, clipping his off stump with a straight one, then had Joe Denly lbw fourth ball.

Leaning and Harry Finch steadied the ship, steering Kent to 179-4 at lunch but, after surviving for 106 balls, Finch tried to drive Waite and was caught at cover by Rob Jones.

Leaning racked up three figures just before tea which the hosts reached on 250-5 before Joey Evison departed in the second over after the resumption for 27 and Leaning and Swanepoel had to resist the urge to go all out for a second batting point, coming frustratingly close, falling just three runs short at the 110-over mark.

Swanepoel belied a jittery start to make a half-century before he was eventually lbw to Pears captain Brett D’Oliveira.

After Leaning passed 150, the game seemed to be meandering until Kashif Ali gave the visitors some renewed momentum when he bowled Wes Agar for six with the final ball of the penultimate over to set up a potentially fascinating final day.