Symonds keeps Kent on the right path

Northamptonshire 115 for 1 (Roberts 64*) trail Kent 254 (Symonds 107, Louw 4-33) by 139 runs
Scorecard

Pair Andrew Symonds with a decent batting pitch at Northampton and the end result is fairly predictable. Runs will flow, errant seamers will be punished and those supporters slumbering in the sun risk cranial injury if they doze off for too long.

Symonds can be a brute at the crease. Tall, broad and possessing forearms as wide as his bat, he dominates the crease. And while there were no reported casualties in the sparse crowd, even Hawkeye is not that accurate, Kent were relieved Symonds gave a glimpse of his power against Northamptonshire. His 107 was at times violent and was the cornerstone of Kent's disappointing 254. By contrast, Northants reached 115 for 1 and without Symonds, Kent would have been in serious trouble. Having won two of their first three matches and embarrassed New Zealand last week, Kent supporters have started to dream about a first Championship for 26 years.

A Northamptonshire attack that has only bowled out their opposition once in the Championship this season was supposed lie down and have its tummy tickled, or kicked in Symonds' case, but a different story unfolded. Symonds gave Carl Greenidge a roughing up, hitting him for three consecutive fours in one over, and two in the next. Greenidge was not seen again and Symonds reached his half-century off 51 balls.

But Northamptonshire have perhaps found an answer to their seam-bowling woes. Many quicks have tried to prosper at Wantage Road, but most have been reduced to tears. The latest masochists are Johann Louw and Steffan Jones. Louw suggested he will perhaps buck the trend with 4 for 33, but the pressure has already told on Jones. He missed this match with a hamstring strain blamed on new rules preventing players nipping off to the lav during play. "In the Lancashire game we were told before that you can't come off for a pee, so I thought I can't drink and then in the night I had the biggest cramp I've ever had and my hamstring has been dodgy ever since," he said. It may be a long season at Wantage Road for Mr Jones.

Louw, though, is a tough South African schooled in the Lancashire Leagues and he turned the match Northamptonshire's way. The two Kent openers fell to his nagging line and when Ed Smith was run out for 35, Kent were in danger of losing their way.Graeme Swann then found plenty of turn despite taking a couple of blows from Symonds. He reached his century with a single through the leg side off Swann, but the bowler had his revenge. Symonds lost his off stump to trying to flick Swann to leg and Kent lost their final six wickets for 63.

Any tumble of wickets at Wantage Road is quickly followed by a call to the ECB pitches department. Peter Walker, ECB's pitch liaison officer, saw no reason to punish the home side. A quiet but damning verdict on Kent's batting.