Hampshire 403 and 24 for 1 drew with Kent 207 (Compton 51, Abbott 5-46) and 338 (Leaning 100, Finch 79, Muyeye 46, Abbott 4-66)
Kent will live to fight another day in Division One of the Vitality County Championship after they battled for a draw with Hampshire on a thrilling final day at Canterbury.
Kent were all out for 338 in their second innings, leaving Hampshire to chase 143 from nine overs at 15.89. Jack Leaning made exactly 100 in a stand of 149 with Harry Finch, who was the last man out for 79, while Kyle Abbott took four for 66 and Mohammad Abbas three for 69.
Hampshire spent 2.4 overs trying to pull off an improbable run chase and were 24 for one when bad light stopped play at 5.54pm.
It's been a tough season at The Spitfire Ground, but the members who stuck by their team were finally rewarded with a superb day of cricket that was fascinatingly poised throughout, particularly during a fractious and excruciating final session.
Kent began on 70 without loss in their second innings, still 126 behind and they suffered a major blow went Tawanda Muyeye went to the fourth ball of the morning when he edged Abbott to Toby Albert at second slip and was out for 46. He then removed Ben Compton for 25, again caught by Albert, before Abbas took two wickets in nine balls. A distraught Daniel Bell-Drummond was lbw for 23, before Joe Denly saw his off stump pinged back for five.
Abbott returned from the Nackington Road to get Joey Evison for 11, victim of a low slip catch by James Vince, leaving Leaning and Finch to survive to 145 for five at lunch.
If Kent's prospects looked bleak at that point, the duo then batted out the entire afternoon session, with only one serious alarm: Leaning was on 34 when he drove Brad Wheal straight to extra cover, but the ball hit Tom Prest in the stomach and fell to the floor. Leaning subsequently drove James Fuller for four to reach his 50 and simultaneously put Kent into the lead.
Hampshire's tactic of bowling short backfired as both batters comfortably dealt with a barrage of bouncers. With the game drifting Dawson switched to the Nackington Road End, but he had no more joy trying to spin the ball up the slope than he had down it.
The hosts reached a far healthier looking 268 for five at tea, at which point the lead was 72 with 37 overs remaining. Hampshire's hopes now hinged on the new ball and although Leaning glanced a single of Abbott to bring up his hundred, he was lbw to Abbas in the next over, ending a record sixth-wicket partnership for Kent against Hampshire and reigniting the contest.
Wheal replaced Abbott at the Pavilion End and immediately had Charlie Stobo caught by Prest for 17 at short midwicket. Abbott switched ends and got Matt Parkinson for seven and George Garrett went for four, caught behind off Wheal in the next over.
Singh, however, managed to linger for 27 balls in a crucial last wicket stand with Finch that ate up 11 overs. Aside from one frankly embarrassing appeal for a catch to a ball that everyone in the ground could see had bounced, they offered few chances until Finch inexplicably tried to hook James Fuller and he was caught at first slip by Vince.
Although rain had already started to fall and the covers went on and off without any overs being lost and Hampshire sent out Vince and Fuller.
It might have been a viable run chase in Blast cricket but in bad light and with nine fielders on the boundary it was largely theoretical, especially when the rain returned.
Vince was bowled by Garrett for 11 in the gathering gloom and although Liam Dawson hit ten off the next two balls, the umpires brought the players off and the players eventually shook hands after some tetchy exchanges as they left the field.
With Lancashire and Nottinghamshire both losing, Kent retain a slim chance of avoiding relegation and they face a crucial game at home to the latter next week.
