Gloucestershire need five more wickets on the final day to wrap up a comprehensive victory against Kent in Bristol
Press Association20-May-2014
ScorecardBen Harmison’s half century prevented a Kent embarrassment•Getty Images
Gloucestershire were closing in on a first Division Twowin of the season at Bristol after setting Kent a target of 582 for victory onday three.Kent were trailing by 417 runs on 165 for 5 at stumps after Gloucestershiredeclared on 443 for 6 and then took a flurry of early wickets in the visitors’reply.But Ben Harmison (66 not out) and Sam Billings (51no) put on a 96-runpartnership for the fifth wicket to frustrate Gloucestershire and take thecontest into a final day.Resuming overnight on 213 for 4 – a lead of 351 runs – Gloucestershireswiftly set about adding to their total, moving to 279 in 12 overs of play.Gareth Roderick fell leg before wicket to Darren Stevens for 85 from 95 ballsand Stevens took his fifth wicket in his next over when he bowled HamishMarshall for 118, leaving Gloucestershire 351 for 6.The New Zealander had exceeded Kent’s first-innings total of 114 on his own andBenny Howell then blasted an unbeaten 63 off 37 balls, with Will Gidman 39 notout when Gloucestershire called a halt to their innings.Kent’s survival mission did not start well as four wickets fell in the first 20overs.Captain Rob Key fell for three, caught by Chris Dent, and Brendan Nash followedfor nine, caught by Howell, to give Gidman two early wickets while Ben Drummondwas out lbw to James Fuller for nought.That left Kent on 24 for 3 and though Sam Northeast and Harmison set aboutsteadying the crumbling innings, the opener was lbw to Tom Smith in the 20thover.At 47 for 4, Kent were struggling to take the contest into a fourth andfinal day but Harmison was joined by Stevens and the pair survived until teawith Kent at 63 for 4, trailing by 518 runs.Stevens soon became Gidman’s third victim for 10, caught behind by substituteCameron Herring – who was permitted to keep wicket in place of the injuredRoderick.Harmison continued the visitors’ resistance in the final session, reaching hishalf-century off 83 balls with Kent having recovered to 113 for 5.Sam Billings also reached his fifty as the pair closed in on their centurypartnership at stumps after 56 overs of play. Gidman had figures of 3 for39, which had at one stage read 3 for 7.