Leaning ton dents Worcestershire's winning hopes

The hosts still trail by 256 after an attritional third day, but Jack Leaning batted through all three sessions and Beyers Swanepoel made 54 on his debut to boost their hopes of grinding out a draw on day four.

Matthew Waite took three for 51 but on a wicket that offered little joy for the bowlers, Worcestershire took just six wickets during a sapping day in the field.

Kent began day three on 111 for two and were untroubled for the first half hour. Leaning reached 50 for the first time in 11 first-class innings when he cut Smith through backward point for two, but Waite then produced a twin jab that briefly left them reeling. He bowled Daniel Bell-Drummond for 67, clipping his off stump with a straight one, then had Joe Denly lbw after just four balls.

Leaning and Harry Finch steadied the ship, steering Kent to 179 for four at lunch, but after surviving for 106 balls Finch tried to drive Waite and was caught at cover by Rob Jones.

That, however, was the visitors only success during the afternoon session.

County champions Surrey are on the cusp of a third successive Division One victory, with Kemar Roach taking a superlative six for 46 to reduce Warwickshire to 209 all out in their second innings after a brilliant 155 from Jamie Smith had guided them to a 121-run halfway lead.

Surrey need just another 58 runs to complete an impressive Vitality County Championship win at the Kia Oval, openers Rory Burns and Dom Sibley taking them to 31 without loss at stumps as they chase an 89-run target.

Smith, who began day three on 98, was joined by Sean Abbott in a superb ninth wicket stand of 115 in little more than 18 overs, a county record against Warwickshire, hauling Surrey up to 464 all out from their overnight 327 for six in reply to Warwickshire’s first innings 343. Roach, finding conventional and reverse swing with both new and older ball, took three of the first four wickets to fall before returning later to grab three more scalps in a wonderful exhibition of controlled fast-medium bowling.

Warwickshire’s hopes of fighting back to set Surrey a challenging fourth innings target were earlier further dashed when Abbott pulled off a stunning caught and bowled, low down from a fierce drive, to dismiss first innings centurion Ed Barnard for 44.

A Shropshire Academy XI were comfortably beaten by four wickets by a Shropshire select XI at Wem Cricket Club.

The Cats, who were skippered by Shrewsbury captain Lewis Evans, won the toss and batted on a warm day in Shropshire and made their way to 130-4 before they collapsed to 198 all out.

Ben Lees, who keeps for Shropshire’s first team, top scored with an 88-ball 65 until he was run out, while Scott Furber was the pick of the bowlers for the select XI as he took 5-33.

Harry Chandler captained the select XI and they made light work of the chase winning with more than 13 overs left.

Oliver Plank top scored with 64 while Craig Heath made an unbeaten 52 not out at better than a run a ball.