Trent Bridge

(Day two of four, Nottinghamshire won the toss)

Nottinghamshire 202 and 106 for 2 (30 overs) MJ Wood 50 not out, AC Voges 23 not out, McLaren 1-31, Kent 238

Lunch

Geraint Jones (34) fell to the last ball before the break having battled to consolidate after another fine spell from Ryan Sidebottom, whose eight overs this morning cost only 11 runs. He continued to find swing from the Radcliffe Road End and beat left-hander James Tredwell (10) on the outside of the bat as Nottinghamshire continued where they had left off.

Stuart Broad struck in his second over with Justin Kemp pushing to slip but Jones, playing within himself, and Ryan McLaren denied the home attack for the best part of an hour. They were happy to score mainly in singles but the stand came to an end when Jones pushed at a wide one from Charlie Shreck to give Chris Read a routine catch.

Tea

Kent were rewarded for a bolder approach as Ryan McLaren and Yasir Arafat posted the best partnership of the game – 67 for the eighth wicket – to help Kent to secure a precious first-innings lead of 36. Stuart Broad took heavy punishment, going for more than five an over and Chris Read was forced to bring back Ryan Sidebottom to break up the tail.

McLaren, looking to drive anything over-pitched, recorded his highest score for Kent, 57 from 102 balls with ten fours but his aggressive mindset backfired when he chased a short, wide ball from Mark Ealham. Arafat continued with equal aplomb, reaching 50 from 70 balls before Samit Patel turned one enough to generate an edge to slip.

Close

Matthew Wood became the first top order batsman on either side to complete a fifty, from 78 balls, as Nottinghamshire took a lead of 76 at the half-way stage. Batting became as easy as at any time during the game with Kent struggling to swing the new ball and Wood and Mark Wagh in particular were prepared to latch onto anything loose.

Will Jefferson was punished for pressing half-forward to Ryan McLaren and Wagh played some beautiful strokes on the front foot before Yasir Arafat won another leg-before appeal, the ball hitting pad just before bat. Wagh had struck McLaren for three boundaries in a single over and Wood hit seven fours in all including two in a row against Martin Saggers

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