England’s Zak Crawley, Jack Leaning and Ben Compton all hit half-centuries as a brilliant defensive display earned Kent a draw with Hampshire on an engrossing final day at Canterbury.
It was a textbook rearguard action by the hosts, who batted out 113 overs to reach 259-4, before the captains shook hands, even though Kent were still 19 runs behind.
Compton and Crawley put down an opening stand of 122 and although Hampshire’s hopes were ignited by a spell of three wickets for four runs, they were frustrated by Jack Leaning and Jordan Cox, whose unbeaten stand of 77 took out 43.2 overs.
Keith Barker and Liam Dawson took two wickets apiece, but it was an exasperating final day for the visitors.
The hosts will be far happier with the draw, having been bowled out for 95 in their first innings, before Hampshire posted 373 in reply.
The visitors had looked heavy favourites, but Kent were 66-0 overnight after 26 overs of stoicism from Compton and a restrained Crawley.
Batting conditions looked significantly easier in a Spitfire Ground that looked and felt warm for the first time this season, and both openers eased their way to 50 but, after over an hour of resistance, Dawson made the breakthrough with two wickets in an over.
Crawley was caught behind for 56 and four deliveries later Tawanda Muyeye fell for a duck, held by Fletcha Middleton at silly point.
When Barker subsequently had Compton lbw for 54 Kent were reeling on 126-3, but Leaning and Sam Billings survived until lunch and for nearly an hour after it before the latter was lbw for 29 to Barker.
That was the only wicket to fall in the afternoon session, with Kent reaching 202-4 at tea.
Cox played with admirable restraint and when Mohammad Abbas did find his edge it bisected the slip cordon and his next delivery fell just short of second slip. They were isolated alarms for the hosts.
Leaning reached 50 when he pulled Barker to square leg for a single and an exhausted Hampshire side tried nine different bowlers before giving up the ghost with nine scheduled overs remaining.
Leaning ended on 68 not out from 206 balls, with Cox unbeaten on 30 from 130.
Kent 95: Muyeye 28; Fuller 5-21 & 259-4: Leaning 68*, Crawley 56, Compton 54; Dawson 2-31
Hampshire 373: Dawson 84, Weatherley 58, Fuller 51; Evison 3-86, Agar 3-114. BBC
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