County Championship: Essex and Kent pile on the runs at Chelmsford

Kent captain Daniel Bell-Drummond hit a second successive County Championship century on a benign pitch at Chelmsford as only two wickets fell all day on day two against Essex.

Bell-Drummond, who reached three figures against Somerset last week, helped his side fight back after suffering three and a half sessions of unremitting toil in the field.

In company with fellow centurion Ben Compton, Bell-Drummond helped put on 218 for the second wicket in 71 overs.

Essex batted on for 70 minutes in the morning, adding 109 runs for the loss of just Harmer as they claimed full batting points. Only George Garrett (2-80) went at less than four runs an over.

Needing 381 to make Essex bat again, Kent knocked off 245 by stumps for the loss of one wicket, with Bell-Drummond on 134 and Compton on 100.

Essex's 530-7 declared was anchored by Matt Critchley's career-best 151 not out, including five fours and four sixes.

Shane Snater claimed the first Kent wicket just before lunch when Tawanda Muyeye shouldered arms to one that went straight on and rapped his pad - but it was the last wicket to fall.

Bell-Drummond reached his half-century from 99 balls with a push into the covers off Aaron Beard, then cross-batted the same bowler through midwicket for his sixth boundary.

Compton, dropped at slip on 20, batted just under three hours for his 50 from 147 balls.

When Critchley strayed down either side of the wicket, Compton nudged the ball three times to the boundary in quick succession.

Suddenly, as the evening session progressed in bright sunshine, it was the turn of the Essex attack to suffer.

Bell-Drummond's 10th four took him to a 168-ball century and also brought up the 150-run stand before Compton reached his century from the last ball of the day, having faced 237 balls and recorded 12 fours.

Report supplied by ECB Reporters' Network.