Kent 308 for 8 (Muyeye 90, Benjamin 74*, Dawkins 65, Wlliams 4 for 40) trail Gloucestershire 325 by 17 runs
Half-centuries from Tawanda Muyeye, Chris Benjamin and Ben Dawkins boosted Kent's battle for first innings supremacy over Gloucestershire on the second day of the Rothesay County Championship Division Two match at the Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol.
Muyeye top-scored with 90 off 141 balls, while Benjamin contributed 74 not out and Dawkins a career-best 65 as the visitors ran up 308 for 8 in reply to Gloucestershire's 325. Seamer Will Williams was the pick of the home bowling attack with four for 40 from 21 overs and claimed a stunning run out.
At one point Kent were 245 for 8, trailing by 80 runs. But Benjamin and Keith Dudgeon (30 not out) put together an unbroken ninth-wicket stand of 63 in the closing overs to frustrate the hosts.
Kent set out at one without loss when play began in hazy sunshine. With no addition to the score in 2.5 overs, Zak Crawley aimed to play a delivery from Gabe Bell off the back foot and only succeeded in getting an inside edge onto his stumps.
Michael Cohen was dropped on 12 by Ollie Price at first slip off Matt Taylor, but had added only six when another edge off a full delivery from Williams saw him safely pouched by Gloucestershire captain Cameron Bancroft at second slip.
Williams then produced the best ball of the morning, nipping back off the seam to bowl Sam Northeast between bat and pad and Kent were in trouble at 39 for 3.
But Dawkins was soon into his stride, taking two boundaries off Ben Charlesworth's first over, while the brief introduction of leg-spinner Ed Middleton saw him concede ten off an over, with Muyeye capitalising on the opening two deliveries, both dropped short, to pull successive fours. By lunch, the pair had taken the total to 99 for 3, with Dawkins unbeaten on 45 and Muyeye on 31.
The afternoon session saw Dawkins go to his half-century off 99 balls, with nine fours, while Muyeye required 88 deliveries to reach fifty, having struck eight boundaries. On 59, Dawkins was given a life when Price dropped his second catch of the day, low at first slip off Matt Taylor.
That enabled the 19-year-old to go past his previous best first class score of 61, made against Derbyshire at Canterbury last season, as he and Muyeye brought up a century stand off 190 balls.
Dawkins departed soon afterwards, bowled by Williams playing forward defensively. The former Lancashire seamer struck for a fourth time when Price redeemed himself by accepting a third chance to send back Daniel Bell-Drummond for three and make the score 151 for 5.
Muyeye and Benjamin then put together a stand of 55 before, on the stroke of tea, Muyeye got a thick edge pushing forward to Charlesworth and wicketkeeper James Bracey took a straightforward catch moving to his right. Muyeye had hit 14 fours and rarely looked in much difficulty.
Tea was taken at the fall of his wicket with Kent 206 for six, still 119 runs behind and Williams having returned four for 24 from 16 overs.
As if that were not enough, Williams produced a startling piece of fielding early in the final session to claim Kent's seventh wicket. Ekansh Singh, who had just lofted Graeme van Buuren over long-on for six, slashed the left-arm spinner to deep cover only to be run out attempting a second as Williams scored a direct hit with only one stump to aim at.
Benjamin was holding the Kent innings together and moved to a chanceless fifty off 86 balls, with six fours. He lost another partner when Joey Evison was caught behind looking to pull a short ball from Charlesworth.
The second new ball was taken after 80 overs at 245 for 8, but made no impression as Benjamin and Dudgeon batted with calm assurance until stumps.
