Pakistan get in the groove as Denly makes a hundred

CANTERBURY: Pakistan’s bowlers got some overs under their belts as Kent captain Joe Denly made an attractive century on the final day of their tour-opener at Canterbury on Tuesday.

Given both Sunday and Monday’s play in this four-day fixture had been washed out without a ball bowled, a draw was always the likeliest result.

And Kent were 209 for four in reply to Pakistan’s first-innings 168 when, with no prospect for a win for either side, the players shook hands not long before the scheduled close of 6:00pm local time (1700 GMT).

Denly was 113 not out.

Together with opener Sean Dickson (74) he put on 160 for the second wicket, after the pair came together at one for one after the early loss of Daniel Bell-Drummond on Saturday.

Their partnership of 127 was a new Kent record for the second wicket against Pakistan, surpassing the 106 shared by Charles Rowe and Chris Tavare at Canterbury back in 1978.

There was no play before lunch on Tuesday after the ground was flooded by a huge downpour on Monday.

But, after extensive work by the ground staff, the match resumed at 2:00pm local time (1300 GMT) under sunny and blue skies.

Kent were then 39 for one, with Dickson 24 not out and former England batsman Denly unbeaten on 12.

Denly was the more fluent of the pair early on Tuesday, cover-driving an elegant four off Mohammad Amir.

The Kent skipper went to his fifty in style with a straight six off leg-spinner Shadab Khan.

Denly, who played alongside Amir for the Karachi Kings in the recent edition of the Twenty20 Pakistan Super League, reached the landmark in 90 balls including six fours and two sixes.