Kent contest ends in draw

Leicestershire versus Kent, Specsavers County Championship, Day 4:

SCORECARD | Available through ESPN Cricinfo HERE

INTERVIEW | Neil Dexter spoke to BBC Radio Leicester's Richard Rae at the end of the game, the interview can be downloaded HERE

HIGHLIGHTS | The highlights of the final day's play are available HERE

REPORT | Leicestershire did their best to force the issue but ultimately the weather had a big say as the Specsavers County Championship game against Kent was drawn.

Neil Dexter scored his first century on the final day for Leicestershire and Mark Cosgrove scored his fifth first-class hundred for the team, who declared shortly after taking maximum bonus points out of the game by scoring 401-9 in 88 overs.

That represented a first innings lead of 137 with 45 overs remaining in the final session and Clint McKay took a brace of early wickets to keep Leicestershire in the victory hunt.

Sean Dickson and Sam Northeast then dug in to see their side to safety at 85-2 when hands were shaken, the batsmen unbeaten on 34 and 31 respectively.

The best part of two days of cricket were lost to a combination of rain, sleet, snow and bad light, so a 13-point haul represented a good effort from the team.

Cosgrove and Dexter shared the highest third-wicket stand for Leicestershire against Kent, their 217 surpassing the efforts of Barry Dudleston and Brian Davison in 1978.

Leicestershire resumed on 174-2 and after Dexter set off well with a couple of fine drives through straight mid-wicket and the covers respectively, Cosgrove completed his century from 155 balls having struck 19 fours along the way.

The duo continued to play well together and banked County's first batting point before taking their personal alliance to 200. Dexter continued to time the ball nicely, especially through the off-side, while Cosgrove was aggressive when the opportunity arose.

The captain had been knocking the ball around so well that it came as a real surprise when he misjudged the length of a Claydon delivery that beat an attempted pull stroke to disturb the wicket.

A second wicket fell in quick succession as Mark Pettini (2) dragged a Claydon delivery into leg stump to leave Leicestershire at 236-4.

An inside edge for four took Dexter to the brink of three figures and the milestone was reached when the batsman cracked a ball down to third man. It was his 13th four from a 163-ball stay at the wicket.

Dexter nudged away a two to bring up the 250 and he also pulled Adam Riley to the fence before Niall O'Brien opened his boundary account through the covers to take Leicesteshire into the lead.

Claydon was unfortunate not to pick up a third wicket when O'Brien was put down in the slips and Leicestershire went in at 287-4 with 65 overs remaining in the game. Dexter was on 122 and O'Brien 18 at that stage.

The stand reached 69, with the third batting point now in the bank, when O'Brien (25) was unfortunate to see an inside edge of Darren Stevens trickle on to his off stump. 

Again a theme of one wicket bringing two in the innings continued as Dexter (131) was trapped right in front by Stevens in his next over.

Wayne White (42 not out) and Ben Raine came together as the lead passed 50 and the duo played some fine strokes in tandem. White and Raine each struck Stevens for six over long-on in the over before the new ball was due, which was taken with the score at 352-6.

Raine (24) was yorked by Coles in the next over to end a stand that yielded 45 in 6.4 overs and wickets again fell in a cluster as Claydon bowled McKay (0) in the next over. 

The lead moved into three figures before Chappell (7) edged Coles to Alex Blake at second slip, with Leicestershire 27 short of a final batting point. 

Charlie Shreck (17 not out) flicked his first delivery for four underneath a gap in the railings on to Milligan Road and he helped White take the score up to 400 with some further lusty blows.

Leicesteshire had momentum and that continued as McKay trapped first innings centurion Daniel Bell-Drummond (4) lbw before having Joe Denly (9) nicely held at first slip by Paul Horton.

Dickson and Northeast steadied the ship, with the captain striking three well-timed fours in the 14th over to bring up the 50.

Northeast played a delightful stroke through mid-on and a couple of leg byes then extended their alliance to 50. The duo continued to battle as Cosgrove shuffled his pack, and the captains shook hands just before 5.30pm.

Leicestershire's next challenge in the Specsavers County Championship is at Sussex on Sunday, with the match scheduled to start at 11am. 

* Thanks to Ed Melia for the photograph taken at stumps today