Kent's gritty defence earns Dolphins a draw

A career-best 178 not out from John Kent earned KwaZulu-Natal the draw to keep alive their play-offs hopes against the Eastern Province Jumbos in the SuperSport Series match which ended at Kingsmead on Monday.

The 21-year-old's near eight-hour rearguard action - during which he added 209 runs with the last five wickets - left the Jumbos facing an impossible run chase having earlier enforced the follow-on.

When Kent finally ran out of partners, the Jumbos were left with the daunting equation of having to make 207 from 36 overs.

They began as if they were seriously attempting the challenge - making 35 off the first five overs - but as soon as soon as wickets began to tumble with three going down in the space of three overs, they were happy to accept the offer of bad light.

The draw means the rock bottom Dolphins can still qualify for the Super Eights against Border at Kingsmead in the final round of matches this weekend. A victory for the Jumbos would have ended their interest.

And for that they have to thank Kent. He faced 359 balls and hit 26 fours in his watchful stay after coming to the wicket on Sunday afternoon at 33 for two and having seen all the main batsmen back in the pavilion at 173 for five.

He resumed on Monday morning on 65 not out and took his sixth wicket partnership with Errol Stewart to 57 before the latter became Wayne Murray's eighth wicket-keeping victim in the match.

If the Jumbos expected that to be the key to unlock the door for them they were sadly mistaken as the Bastow went on to share three more time consuming partnerships.

He put on 36 for the seventh wicket with Gulam Bodi before the latter was farcically run out when he failed to make his ground at the non-striker's end after the batsmen had collided in mid-pitch.

But Kent continued serenely putting on 72 in an hour and a half with Eldine Baptiste and a further 43 in an hour for the last wicket with John Bastow.

Only Gary Gilder - who lasted just three balls before being castled by Nantie Hayward - adhered to the Jumbos' script.

Justin Kemp finished with five for 69 in the innings but with the Dolphins proving unexpectedly resilient the Jumbos had to settle for the draw.