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Somerset win despite Denly best

category: Cricket

24.05.2008 19:26

Somerset secured their first victory back in the County Championship top flight despite a career-best 149 by Kent opener Joe Denly.

Steffan Jones claimed four wickets in 10 balls for the visitors to put them on the brink of victory.

But Denly and last man Mark Saggers took Kent within 21 runs of an unlikely win before Denly was dismissed.

The 22-year-old was trapped lbw by a Charl Willoughby in-swinger just after lunch to hand Somerset victory.

Kent had moved within 103 of their target with five wickets still intact before Jones started his rampage.

He began by removing his Kent namesake Geraint Jones for 26 to a sharp catch at second slip by Marcus Trescothick and four balls later he ran one back through the gate to peg back left-hander Ryan McLaren's off stump.

In his next over he had Yasir Arafat caught in the slip cordon by Trescothick and two balls later Robbie Joseph was snapped up at mid-wicket by Peter Trego for a duck.

But Denly led a Kent fightback and, farming the strike from Saggers, who ended with nine not out from 48 balls, he brought up his hundred with a straight six off Willoughby.

However, the lunch interval broke his concentration and 11 balls after the re-start Denly fell to Willoughby to spark Somerset celebrations.

Willoughby finished with 4-67 and Jones 5-63 as Somerset banked 18 points to Kent's five.

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