Compton steadies Kent after big Derbyshire total

BBC News

24-05-2025

Rothesay County Championship Division Two, County Ground, Derby (day two)Derbyshire 587-5 dec: Jewell 232, Madsen 100, Came 89, Lloyd 50, Reece 50*; Leaning 2-85Kent 210-3: Compton 105*, Bell-Drummond 61; Dal 2-34Kent (0 pts) trail Derbyshire (5 pts) by 377 runs with seven wickets remainingMatch scorecard
Caleb Jewell and Wayne Madsen achieved personal milestones to drive Derbyshire to a record-breaking score before Kent fought back on the second day of the County Championship Division Two match at Derby.Australian opener Jewell made a career-best 232 from 361 balls out of 587-5 declared, Derbyshire's highest ever total against Kent.Madsen scored 100, the Derbyshire captain's 40th first-class century for the county, out of a third wicket stand of 176 with Jewell before Luis Reece plundered an unbeaten half-centuryThe Kent bowling figures made for sorry reading with leg spinner Matt Parkinson becoming the first to concede 200 runs in an innings against Derbyshire, eclipsing a record which had stood for 121 years.Derbyshire's bowlers also struggled as Ben Compton with an unbeaten 105 and 61 from Daniel Bell-Drummond helped Kent to 210-3 at stumps, still 377 behind.After Jewell had sparkled in the sunshine on day one, it was more of the same despite contrasting conditions on an overcast and breezy morning.Any hopes Kent had of making inroads with a relatively new ball under grey clouds quickly faded as Jewell and Madsen did pretty much as they pleased.Kent lost fast bowler Jake Ball who was forced to leave the field with an injury nine overs into the session and there was more frustration when Grant Stewart had a good shout for lbw against Jewell on 164 turned down.After Madsen lofted Parkinson for four to secure a fourth batting point, Jewell drove the leg spinner for six to move to within two runs of his double century which he reached with a scampered single to mid off.In the same over, Madsen completed his second hundred of the season before he drove Leaning into the hands of long on.Parkinson beat Brooke Guest's drive but it was easily Derbyshire's morning with 131 runs scored in 30 overs and there was more to come.Jewell passed his previous best of 227 for Tasmania against Western Australia but five runs later he tried to swing Leaning over mid-wicket and was bowled, bringing to an end the highest score by a Derbyshire batsman against Kent.There was still no respite for a weary attack as Reece motored to a 46-ball 50 and Martin Andersson cleared the ropes four times before the declaration came four runs after Derbyshire had passed their previous biggest total against Kent of 583-4 at Derby in September 2009.Not surprisingly there were some bruised bowling figures with Parkinson's analysis of 1-204 from 46 overs the most expensive against Derbyshire since Bill Reeves conceded 192 for Essex at Chesterfield in 1904.Derbyshire also discovered there was little margin for error despite taking the early wicket of Joe Denly who was playing his first innings of the season after recovering from a broken arm.Denly was lured into aiming a big drive at Zak Chappell and the edge flew to second slip where Madsen pouched a waist high catch.Compton and Bell-Drummond responded with a stand of 125 balls from 179 balls and although Anuj Dal tempted the Kent skipper and Tawanda Muyeye into loose strokes, Compton completed a fine century from 151 balls by cutting Chappell for his 13th four.ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay