CRICKET - ESSEX AND KENT MADE TO SWEAT IN TITLE RACE .
LONDON 1996-08-31
Essex and Kent both face tense finishes on Monday as they attempt to keep pace with title hopefuls Derbyshire and Surrey , convincing three-day victors on Saturday , in the English county championship run-in .
Essex need another 148 with five wickets in hand to beat Yorkshire after a maiden first-class century from Richard Kettleborough transformed a match which his side had seemed certain to lose .
Kent will also need to keep their nerve against struggling Nottinghamshire who will enter the final day 137 ahead with four wickets left in a relatively low-scoring match at Tunbridge Wells .
Derbyshire , nine-wicket winners over Worcestershire , and Surrey , who thrashed Warwickshire by an innings and 164 runs , can instead take the day off along with rivals Leicestershire , who beat Somerset inside two days .
Warwickshire captain Tim Munton is tipping Surrey to emerge on top , impressed by the positive influence of Australian coach Dave Gilbert , but Derbyshire 's Australian captain Dean Jones is conceding nothing as his side chase their first title for 60 years .
" We took three absolutely brilliant catches in this match and our catching all season has been pretty impressive .
Our catching will win or lose us the championship , " he said .