Kent fighting again to save a match after Farhan Ahmed keeps them in check

Kent 225 (Evison 76, Farhan 4-37) and 85 for 0 (Muyeye 55*, Compton 22*) f/o trail Nottinghamshire 433 (Slater 160, Haynes 62, Hameed 56, Gilchrist 4-101) by 123 runs

Kent were once again fighting to save a match in the Vitality County Championship, reaching 85 for no wicket in their second innings against Nottinghamshire at Canterbury, still 123 behind at stumps on day two.

Tawanda Muyeye was unbeaten on 55 and Ben Compton was 22 not out when bad light stopped play with seven scheduled overs remaining.

Notts were all out for 433 early during the morning session, Nathan Gilchrist finishing with 4 for 101, but Farhan Ahmed then claimed 4 for 37 as Kent were dismissed for 225 in their first innings.

Joey Evison was the highest scorer, hitting 76 against his former side, while the second-biggest contribution came from the extras column with 43.

Kent were forced to follow on and the seven bonus points the visitors have stockpiled mean that even if the hosts pull off an improbable win here, Notts would need just a single point from their final fixture next week at home to Warwickshire to ensure Kent go down – and if Lancashire beat Somerset, Kent will be relegated regardless of what happens on the final two days.

The visitors began day two on 393 for 6 and Luke Fletcher had moved to 22 when he played an elaborate leave shot against George Garrett, who clipped a bail.

Rob Lord survived a strong first-ball appeal for caught behind but was lbw in the next over to Nathan Gilchrist, who then sent Ahmed’s off stump cartwheeling for 2.

Dane Schadendorf was the last man to go when he holed out to Akeem Jordan and was taken by Daniel Bell-Drummond, who sprinted to long off.

Kent’s reply was just five balls old when Compton was adjudged lbw to Fletcher for four and Muyeye went for 10 when he flicked Fletcher to Lord on the square leg boundary.

It was 60 for 2 at lunch and Bell-Drummond went soon after, caught by Schadendorf off Lyndon James for 28.

Joe Denly edged Lord to Schadendorf for 5 and it nearly got worse for Kent when Freddie McCann put down Evison when he was one after he’d edged James.

Jack Leaning went for 26, trying to fend off a short ball from Lord that he gloved to Schadendorf.

Ahmed took a wicket with his first ball, getting Harry Finch caught at short leg by Jack Haynes and at that point the game looked like it might be over in two days, let alone three but Jordan made a game 23 in a partnership of 63 with Evison before he was lbw to Ahmed.

Ahmed then got Parkinson for a 28-ball duck after a sharp catch at short leg by McCann and an already interminable-seeming afternoon session was prolonged when Jacob Duffy bowled Nathan Gilchrist for four with last scheduled ball before tea.

Evison eventually holed out to Ahmed and was caught by Ben Slater on the deep cover boundary, forcing Kent were forced to follow on for the sixth time this season, but not for the first time this campaign they made a better fist of it second time around.

Muyeye sped to 50 from 49 balls but with the light deteriorating, play was abandoned at 6.06pm.