| Vitality County Championship Division One, Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford (day three) |
| Essex 530-7 dec & 257-4: Cox 116*; Agar 2-47 |
| Kent 413: Compton 165, Bell-Drummond 135; Critchley 5-105 |
| Essex (7 pts) lead Kent (4 pts) by 374 runs |
Jordan Cox battered his former Kent team-mates with a whirlwind century as Essex powered towards a second declaration in the County Championship gameat Chelmsford.
The 23-year-old right-hander reached his first three-figure score for his new county with a mighty six over square leg, one of six in an unbeaten 116 as Essex raced to 257-4 in 40 overs and a lead of 374.
Earlier Ben Compton weighed anchor for more than eight-and-a-half hours to help Kent avoid the follow-on. The obdurate left-hander was last man out for 165, his highest score for Kent.
That Essex were able to get so close to asking Kent to go straight back in was due to an inspired spell from leg-spinning all-rounder Matt Critchley, following up his career-high 151 with 5-105.
Daniel Bell-Drummond added just a single to his overnight 134 before he was lbw to Jamie Porter. He and Compton put on 224 for the second wicket.
The new ball quickly accounted for Jack Leaning in Porter’s next over before Shane Snater removed Joe Denly’s leg stump.
It was then over to Critchley as Harry Finch misdrove to mid-on, Jaydn Denly looped one into short leg’s hands and Wes Agar was lbw.
Nathan Gilchrist pulled Critchley and Simon Harmer for sixes as he contributed 41 to an 88-run stand with Compton.
Critchley removed him and Matt Parkinson for his five-wicket haul and Compton, 100 not out at start of play, was denied the honour of carrying his bat when he was bowled around his legs attempting to sweep Harmer.
Essex’s Feroze Khushi pulled Agar to deep midwicket and Dean Elgar, dropped off the third ball of the innings, made 34 before George Garrett trapped him lbw.
Agar had Tom Westley lbw but Cox quickly found his range, twice reverse-sweeping Parkinson for boundaries and then slamming the spinner for 19 in an over.
Critchley hit 25 from 23 balls in a quickfire 87-run partnership before being bowled by Parkinson, and Michael Pepper smashed 34 of an unbroken 91 partnership for the fifth wicket.
