CANTERBURY

Day three of four (Hampshire won toss)

Hampshire 367, 110.2 overs (Carberry 92, Arafat 6-86) and Hampshire 186-6, 60 overs (Nic Pothas 52*, Chris Tremlett 17*, Mahmood 3-24). Kent 369, 104.5 overs (Denly 89, Tahir 5-96, Tomlinson 4-64).

Lunch

James Tomlinson swung the game Hampshire’s way with 4-24 in 12 overs from the Pavilion End. Kent lost five wickets for 94 runs in 28 overs in the morning session and still trail Hampshire by 32 runs with two wickets left.

With Imran Tahir, the leg-spinner, as their trump card in the fourth innings, Hampshire have the upper hand with the first innings scores to be close.

Imran Tahir made the first inroad from the Nackington Road End and put James Tredwell out of misery, with what looked like another misread googly. Tredwell swept, top-edged and slip ran round to short fine leg to catch him.

Much as Yasir Arafat and Azhar Mahmood had done the previous evening, Tomlinson, the leftarmer, found a much better, fuller length, than the previous day. Kent’s danger man, Martin van Jaarsveld had added just ten to his overnight 25 when he played on driving at a ball swinging back into him.

With the exception of Mahmood, Kent’s much vaunted lower order collapsed, with Hampshire taking their catches today. Justin Kemp drove to first slip, Geraint Jones cut to point and Arafat, batting at nine, but with a first class average of 28, including four hundreds, was caught at first slip driving.

Tea

It has been Azhar Mahmood day so far and he swung the game back Kent’s way first with some lusty blows with the bat and then by nipping out three quick wickets.

From 335-8 at lunch, Mahmood took Kent to 369, a first innings lead of two, before he was last man out.