Cricket: Walsh takes giant strides

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Kent 189; Gloucestershire 64-1

KENT, heading the pack behind Essex before the start here, could have done with a push following the wash-out and a single batting point when retreating from Northampton on Monday. Instead, they were wiped out again for under 200, this time by Courtney Walsh. Fortified by lunch and a ball change, the Gloucestershire destroyer collected his seventh five- wicket return of the season.

Mention a ball change, of course, and everyone gets very excited at the moment. All you can say at the St Lawrence Ground, though, is that it was a change for the better so far as the West Indian was concerned after he had sent down seven overs in the morning without enjoying any luck at all, Kent arriving at the break on 124 for 3 and probably feeling that they had weathered the storm.

Not a bit of it, Walsh ambling in from the Nackington Road end and, to pardon the expression, a knackered-looking Kent losing their last seven wickets for 39 runs. Walsh hurried things along with a burst of 4 for 7 from 33 deliveries and when the last Kent wicket fell at four o'clock in the 68th over, his post-lunch spell read 16-5-27-5.

Walsh will get you wickets on just about anything and he had a bit of help here. On the other hand, Kent helped out with some loose shots and once the door was open, in strode Walsh. By then, the top of the Kent batting had been creamed off by Gloucestershire's back-up boys.

Mark Benson, having won the toss, was on his way in the fourth over, bowled pushing forward to Martin Gerrard. Trevor Ward and Neil Taylor then added 77 before Taylor had his off stump removed by Richard Scott. Ward, having made 42, departed four runs later when driving at Justin Vaughan.

That was a useful dismissal for the New Zealand doctor, Graham Cowdrey and Carl Hooper left to repair the damage. This had amounted to 73 runs when Walsh got one to hurry on to Cowdrey, the ball taking the shoulder of the bat for a comfortable catch. Walsh also took the catch at long leg that accounted for Hooper for 41.

He continued the destruction by taking out Steve Marsh, Matthew Fleming, Richard Davis and Richard Ellison. Getting in the action, meanwhile, was Timothy Hancock, who picked up three catches at short leg. As for Kent gloom, this continued right until bad light and rain brought a premature end with Gloucestershire going well and only Scott back in the pavilion.

Durham's efforts to rise from the foot of the table were hampered by rain after they had reduced Hampshire to 87 for 4 at lunch, at Darlington. Durham quickly gained the upper hand, only for the last two sessions to be washed out.