Hill and McKay shine on day two at Kent

An audio interview with Lewis Hill with BBC Radio Leicester's Richard Rae is available here

Lewis Hill scored a 50 in his maiden first-class innings but the bowlers had more of a say on the second day of the LV=CC game at Canterbury.

Hill’s effort, together with an unbeaten 33 from Rob Taylor, helped Leicestershire bank four batting points in scoring 386 in their first innings. Former Fox Darren Stevens bagged a first-session haul of 5-28 to finish with figures of 5-88.

Clint McKay, who returned 2-24 from 15 probing overs, picked up two early wickets but Kent regrouped to post 155-3 from 57.5 overs before bad light brought about an early finish.

Although Joe Denly (56*) and Sam Northeast (38 not out) more than doubled the score in an unbroken fourth wicket stand of 79, the County attack did a good job to keep a lid on the run rate and the team still holds a lead of 231.

Hill said: “The lads have already told me I have to buy two rounds of drinks tonight, one for my debut 50 and another for my first catch, but it’ll be a pleasure either way.

“I was honoured to get selected and so proud to get my cap yesterday, so to get a 50 as well was brilliant.

“It would have been nice to go on and get three figures and, looking back at the replays, I have to be disappointed with the shot. But, if you’d offered me 57 yesterday, I’d have gladly taken it.”    

Resuming on their impressive overnight score of 300-5 from 67 overs, Leicestershire suffered two early casualties.

Ben Raine (12) was first to go, lbw to a Stevens in-swinger having added one to his overnight score then, in his next over, Stevens had McKay (6) caught on the ropes at deep extra cover off a sliced drive.

Kent should have had a third success in 30 minutes when Mitch Claydon found the outside edge of Taylor’s bat but Adam Riley downed a slip chance to allow the left-hander off the hook with his score on seven.

Stevens gave way after a five-over spell of 2-23, to be replaced at the Pavilion End by Ivan Thomas, who shared the new ball with Claydon.

Hill marked his first class debut with a 79-ball half-century with six fours but Stevens returned to dismiss him for 57 when the young right-hander chopped an attempted cut on to his off stump.

Stevens’ golden spell continued when he bowled Jigar Naik (1) after the tail-ender opted to shoulder arms, then last man Charlie Shreck drove to mid-off to be caught by Northeast.

Leicestershire picked up their first bowling point by bagging three mid-session wickets to send Kent in at tea on 100-3.

Daniel Bell-Drummond (14) was caught at slip by Taylor off McKay and home skipper Rob Key (8) went leg before to the same bowler to make it 40-2.

Brendan Nash (21) then tried to drive Taylor but edged through to become Hill’s first victim in first-class cricket behind the stumps.

Kent only had 76 on the board at that stage but Denly, back at his hometown club after a three-year stint with Middlesex, dug in thereafter in tandem with Kent’s leading run-scorer and vice-captain Northeast.

Denly registered the longest innings of the match to date in terms of balls faced on reaching 42. He dug deeper still to register his second successive Championship 50 from 149 balls.

The opener reached the milestone with a rare moment of flamboyance; rocking back to pull a short one for six over square leg to go with five fours, and Northeast offered valuable support.

The players came off with 12.1 overs remaining at 5.30pm and were not to return as the light did not improve.

Leicestershire bowling figures: McKay 14-6-25-2, Shreck 17-5-58-0, Raine 10-4-18-0, Taylor 11.5-4-28-1, Naik 4-0-10-0.