Yorkshire were left frustrated for the second successive Sunday, this time bad light denying them the chance to chase 114 in the final 21 overs against Kent on day four at Headingley.
Last week, it was Northamptonshire who held on for a draw at Wantage Road. This week, Kent, leaving the county to reflect on two draws and a win to start the 2022 LV= Insurance County Championship summer.
Umpires Graham Lloyd and Steve O’Shaughnessy took the players off the field before a ball had been bowled in the Yorkshire chase following impressive innings from Kent trio Ben Compton (93), Grant Stewart (91) and Ollie Robinson (85 not out).
The game was drifting towards a conclusion with Kent at 384-6 and a lead of 104 midway through the evening session.
But, enter Steve Patterson. The captain was central to a loss of four wickets for nine runs in 24 balls, claiming three of them to give his team-mates and the hardy souls in the stands genuine hope of a win.
They had braved a chilly and overcast day, with floodlights first in operation as early as the second over of the day.
Ultimately, Yorkshire had to settle for a 16-point haul to Kent’s 11 and will head to Essex on Thursday when Joe Root should return to domestic action.
Opener Compton and wicketkeeper Robinson played similarly doughty innings, while injured all-rounder Stewart (hamstring) was far more aggressive as he struggled for mobility and required a runner.
Kent started the day on 118-2, trailing by 162.
Compton is now the top division’s leading run-scorer with 560 and fell before lunch to leave the score at 182-5.
Stewart and Robinson then shared 166 for the seventh wicket – a Kent record in matches versus Yorkshire – either side of tea having come together at 218-6, a deficit of 62 with 56 overs still to bowl.
At that stage, Yorkshire were on top. The pair dug in initially before Stewart opened his shoulders.
His 58-ball fifty was almost twice as quick as his partner’s.
Kent reached tea at 312-6, leading by 32 with 35 overs remaining in the game.
And they all but doubled the lead in the first two overs of the evening, including Stewart hitting two sixes to take the lion’s share of 20 off a Jordan Thompson over.
More runs were to follow, with Stewart’s 91-ball innings featuring four sixes, all either slog swept or pulled.
But he was run out clipping to mid-on before Patterson trapped Matt Milnes lbw and had Nathan Gilchrist and Matt Quinn caught at mid-off to raise home hopes of a first 24-point haul since the final game of 2018.
Stewart suffered a hamstring problem whilst bowling on day three and required Jordan Cox as a runner when he arrived at the crease.
Yorkshire’s bid for victory, meanwhile, was hampered by the loss of Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf, who was unable to bowl in the second innings with a side issue having taken five wickets in the first.
A handful of catches going down throughout the game will also be of frustration.
Play was watched by new Yorkshire chair Lord Kamlesh Patel and dignitaries of one of the club’s new principal partners, Clean Slate Studioz, including owner Karnesh Ssharma – the brother-in-law of Virat Kohli.
They were here to unveil their new partnership with the county and the Northern Diamonds women.
Yorkshire’s first breakthrough on day four came via Patterson, who removed opposing captain Jack Leaning – his former team-mate and close friend – for 36.
When Leaning under-edged behind attempting to leave alone in the day’s sixth over, the 56th of the innings, Kent were 126-3 with a deficit of 154.
George Hill then struck twice with his canny medium pacers before Patterson’s late intervention.
Yorkshire’s chase was due to start at just after 5.05pm, and the match was eventually called a draw at 5.45pm.
