Leicestershire v Kent: Scores and match report

Match scores (Grace Road)

Leicestershire 420 & 61-2 dec (Ackermann 89, McKay 66, Horton 48, Wells 46; Hunn 3-110, Stevens 2-44, Coles 2-114) 

Kent 462-9 dec (Stevens 100, Northeast 40, Tredwell 55, Coles 56; Klein 4-108, Wells 2-98) 

Match drawn

Day four report

Leicestershire ended Kent's perfect start in Specsavers County Championship Division Two this season as the sides played out a draw at Grace Road.

The loss of a day and half to rain and a pitch which flattened once the sun finally came out ultimately proved to be the decisive factors as both sides claimed maximum bonus points.

A century for in-form Kent all-rounder Darren Stevens - his first against his former county - and half-centuries for Adam Rouse, James Tredwell and Matt Coles enabled Kent skipper Sam Northeast to declare at tea on 462 for nine in reply to the hosts' 420.

However, Paul Horton, Harry Dearden and Colin Ackermann saw the Foxes through to an early close on 61 for two.

The morning had seen Stevens and Rouse extend their unbeaten overnight sixth-wicket partnership to 152, a record for Kent against Leicestershire.

Kent had begun the day still needing 78 runs to avoid the follow-on, but though Rouse did enjoy one moment of good fortune when he edged left-arm fast bowler Dieter Klein just past his leg stump when he was on 16, it was a rare moment of alarm.

Stevens, who had played with destructive power in charging to his half-century off just 30 balls on the evening of the third day, was more circumspect as he approached three figures.

He did lose Rouse, bowled for 60 by Callum Parkinson - the left-arm spinner's maiden first-class wicket for the Foxes - but went to his century off 96 balls, having hit 15 fours and a six.

Shortly after doing so an attempt to hit a full delivery from Tom Wells back over the bowler's head resulted in a simple catch for Klein at mid-off.

James Harris went leg-before to Mark Cosgrove, but Coles and Tredwell compiled a partnership of 89 for the ninth wicket before occasional off-spinner Dearden turned his first delivery past Tredwell's outside edge and on to off-stump.

Horton hung out his bat at a Will Gidman delivery to be dismissed in the 40s for the fourth consecutive innings, and Dearden hung his head after slashing a Matt Hunn delivery to gully, where Gidman took a fine catch, the ball before the teams shook hands.

Day three report

A remarkable day's play saw 484 runs scored and 13 wickets fall as Kent fought back after being reduced to 144 for five replying to Leicestershire's first innings score of 420.

Darren Stevens inevitably led the counter-attack. Picking up where he left off in hitting 147 off just 67 balls in the Royal London Cup against Glamorgan in his previous innings, he smashed an unbeaten half-century off just 30 balls in the hour before play finally ended at 7.30pm at the Fischer County Ground with Kent on 193 for five.

Leicestershire's left-arm quick bowler Dieter Klein had picked up four wickets as the home team did their best to make up for the time lost to the weather over the first two days of the game, when only 47.3 overs had been possible.

The afternoon had seen the Foxes' tail wag to impressive effect to ensure a maximum bonus point return.

Play resumed with Leicestershire on 129 for two, and Colin Ackermann was fortunate to survive when he edged the second ball of the day, from Matt Hunn, just short of Matt Coles at first slip. Thereafter, however, the South African played with an unhurried assurance, going to his 50 with a cut to the boundary off Coles.

He and Leicestershire captain Mark Cosgrove had added 76 runs for the third wicket when Cosgrove, on 39, was trapped leg-before by a Stevens in-swinger. Ackermann lofted James Tredwell for a straight six, but the off-spinner did enjoy success shortly before lunch when Ned Eckersley tried to pull a short ball, missed, and was bowled for 33.

Having bowled without much luck in the morning session, the Kent seamers enjoyed better fortunes immediately after the break. Ackermann was caught behind by Daniel Bell-Drummond - who had taken over the gloves after Adam Rouse dislocated his thumb earlier in the day - Mark Pettini went leg before to James Harris and Callum Parkinson, pushing forward, was comfortably held by substitute fielder Alex Blake at fourth slip off Hunn.

At 278 for seven Leicestershire were in danger of subsiding, but Tom Wells, Klein and then Clint McKay all put bat to ball. Wells, on his first Championship appearance, was disappointed to sky an attempted leg-side clip high to mid-off on 46, but Klein thumped 23 off just ten balls, and McKay, having gone to his 50 with a straight six off James Harris, went to a first-class career best 66 with a similar blow.

When Kent began their reply, Klein, swinging the ball back in to the right-handers, quickly pinned Sean Dickson leg before and bowled Joe Denly with a full delivery before a partnership of 57 between Bell-Drummond and Sam Northeast went some way towards repairing the visitors' fortunes.

Wells dismissed Bell-Drummond with his first ball, and Klein returned to have both Northeast and Will Gidman caught edging loose drives. Kent were in serious trouble, but Stevens played as though the score was 400 rather than 150, hitting through the line of the ball with supreme confidence and timing.

He was particularly severe on the unfortunate Callum Parkinson, hitting the young left-arm spinner for 30 off just three overs on his first-class debut for Leicestershire, and his half-century included nine fours and a six.

Day two report

Rain continued to blight the Specsavers County Championship match between Leicestershire and Kent.

Only 47.3 overs were possible on the second day at the Fischer County Ground, after the first day was entirely washed out.

Paul Horton and Harry Dearden compiled an opening partnership of 58 for the Foxes before the experienced Horton, who had hit nine boundaries in going to 48, was given leg before on the front foot to a Darren Stevens which seamed back in to the right-hander.

Dearden, who took 26 overs to reach double figures, was beginning to bat with much more fluency when the 20-year-old left-hander drove loosely at Matt Coles coming in around the wicket, and was bowled through the gate.

He and Colin Ackermann had added 55 for the second wicket, however, and having been dropped by wicket-keeper Adam Rouse diving to his right on nine off Coles, Ackermann had moved on to 31 when the rain returned.

After sterling work by the ground staff, the players did return to the field at 5.45pm, and in the 4.3 overs that were possible before the weather closed in for the final time, Ackermann was again dropped by Rouse, this time off Matt Hunn, a waist-high chance diving in front of Matt Coles at first slip.

Leicestershire closed on 129 for two.

Day one report

No play was possible on the first day of the Specsavers County Championship Division Two match between Leicestershire and Kent at Grace Road.

Despite steady rain throughout the morning and early afternoon, umpires Russell Evans and Jeff Evans decided play could start at 5pm, with 24 overs to be bowled.

However, further light rain forced the umpires to rule no play could take place.