Dravid steers Kent to safety

Indian batsman Rahul Dravid's painstaking 77 in their match against Leicester enabled Kent to secure the single point they needed to guarantee their stay in the first division.

But for Dravid, who was dropped twice, Kent might have been bundled out very cheaply.

Kent achieved their primary objective under duress on a firm, bouncy strip obtaining the first and crucial batting point deep in the final session to preserve their first division status.

Dravid grafted over four-and-a-half hours for 77 while notching his 1,000 runs for the season. Ed Smith (40) and Dravid added 72 for the third wicket but Stelling's late outswing, and wicketkeeper Neil Burns's five catches after badly missing Dravid, kept Kent in check.

At close, on the first day of the four-day match, Kent were 228 for eight.

Surrey, led by Adam Hollioake, retained the county championship trophy on Wednesday.

Surrey needed just one point in their match against Lancahire and they achieved it when Saurav Ganguly, having reached 54 off 101 balls with eight fours, edged Tudor and Holliaoke leapt to his left to take a brilliant catch.

Hollioake punched the air in a victory salute, went into a huddle with his players by way of celebration and then sent them back in expectation of bowling Lancashire out.

Brief scores: Lancashire first innings 324 (W K Hegg 93 not out, S Ganguly 54). Surrey first innings 28 for two.

Mail Cricket Editor