Worcs dominate Kent with bat and ball at New Road
Worcestershire end day one just 102 runs behind Kent's first innings score of 196 with nine wickets remaining.
South African Beyers Swanepoel took three wickets on his Worcestershire debut [Getty Images] Rothesay County Championship, Division Two, Visit Worcestershire New Road, Worcester (day one) Kent 196: Milnes 50*; Hannon-Dalby 3-27, Swanepoel 3-51 Worcestershire 94-1: Libby 52* Worcestershire (3 pts) trail Kent (0 pts) by 102 runs Match scorecard Kent's decision to bat backfired at New Road as Worcestershire had much the better of the opening day of their County Championship Division Two tussle. Worcestershire closed the first day on 94-1 after bowling Kent out for 196. Olly Hannon-Dalby, his loan from Warwickshire extended for another four games, bowled superbly for 18-6-27-3, building pressure which debutant Beyers Swanepoel exploited to take 3-51.
Kent's total at least represented something of a recovery from 99-7, thanks to eighth-wicket pair Matt Milnes (50 from 61 balls) and Keith Dudgeon (38 off 61). Worcestershire completed a strong first home day of the season by reaching 94-1, with Jake Libby 52 not out, on a very good cricket wicket. To provide such a good pitch, offering some help to the bowlers but also value to the batters when they played well, is an incredible effort by head groundsman Stephen Manfield and his team, considering that New Road was flooded six times during the winter.
Notifications, social media and more with BBC Sport Kent's decision to bat was surprising and though England opener Zak Crawley settled well, batting watchfully, he lost two partners in the first hour. Hannon-Dalby's opening spell of 7-3-7-1 included the wicket of Ben Compton, caught by Ethan Brookes at second slip for four, and Swanepoel struck with his 15th delivery for Worcestershire which trapped Sam Northeast lbw for three. When Crawley (27) edged to wicketkeeper Gareth Roderick in Matthew Waite's first over, three wickets had fallen in 29 balls.
Tawanda Muyeye and Daniel Bell-Drummond eked out 37 from 21 overs but Kent hit serious post-lunch turbulence. Four wickets fell for 24 runs in 46 balls, triggered by Bell-Drummond (23) offering no shot at Swanepoel only to see the ball arrow in to knock out leg-stump. Hannon-Dalby produced perfect outswingers which Muyeye (19) and Chris Benjamin, four, edged to the 'keeper.