Tawanda Muyeye and Daniel-Bell Drummond set batting milestones as Kent dominated on day two of their LV= Insurance County Championship match with hosts Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.
Zimbabwean Muyeye moved to a maiden first-class hundred while the more experienced Bell-Drummond inked in a new career best of 271 not out, eclipsing his 206 not out against Loughborough University at Canterbury seven years ago.
The pair added 318 for the second wicket as the visitors built up 550-5 by stumps, a lead of 313.
On what was a long day for Northamptonshire’s attack, young leg spinner Alex Russell and experienced seamer Ben Sanderson emerged from the dust with two wickets apiece.
Bell-Drummond set the tone, on-driving the first ball of the day back past the stumps for four, but it wasn’t long before Muyeye took centre-stage.
Muyeye picked up where he’d left off on Day One, using the long levers of his tall slender frame to showcase an elegant technique mixed with power. A single to deep cover took him beyond that previous career-best against Middlesex and there were no nervous 90s either, a six over mid-on taking him to the brink of that maiden hundred which duly came minutes later.
Bell-Drummond continued his rich vein of form in June, a 12th four carrying him to three figures in a wicketless first session for the hosts.
The pair forged on after the interval and the stand moved beyond 300 and the 2nd wicket record against Northamptonshire of 382 set by Sean Dickson and Joe Denly looked in sight before the youngster mishit Russell into the hands of Sanderson at cover. The wicket was Russell’s first in first-class cricket and welcome reward for a spell that showed the talent of the young leggy.
Denly and Jack Leaning then fell cheaply either side of the second new ball, the former a second wicket for Russell and the latter to a sharply spinning delivery from Rob Keogh which bowled him through the gate.
Bell-Drummond though picked up the mantle, a glorious straight drive taking him past his previous Championship-best of 166. His first Championship double hundred complete with 20 fours came soon after tea, and four through mid-wicket off White enabled him to chalk up the new career-best landmark.
Jordan Cox kept him company either side of tea with an ebullient 41 in a stand of 106 before being castled by the persevering Sanderson.