Northamptonshire closed in on an innings victory against Kent in their County Championship match at Canterbury, reducing the hosts to 162-3 at stumps, after they were forced to follow on.

Kent finally offered some resistance on day three, but they suffered a double blow late on; James Sales removed Sam Northeast for 69, thanks to a brilliant diving catch by George Bartlett at leg gully, and Calvin Harrison then bowled night-watcher Matt Milnes for a duck.

Earlier Harry Conway took 5-36 as Kent were skittled for 178 in their first innings, a deficit of 506. Conway then removed England’s Zak Crawley for five, but Ben Compton and Northeast put on a stand of 152, until Sales and Bartlett intervened.

Compton was unbeaten on 70 but the hosts remain 344 behind going into the final day.

Rain wiped out the morning session and play started at 13:08 BST, with Kent a biblical 565 runs in arrears on 119-6.

The second night-watchman, Jas Singh, lasted 11 minutes before Conway had him caught by Bartlett for 12.

Conway then got two wickets in as many balls. Joey Evison was lbw for 10, before Jaydn Denly’s off-stump was sent cartwheeling.

The last wicket duo of Chris Benjamin, who was unbeaten on 31, and Keith Dudgeon offered some resistance, batting out 16.2 overs until the latter was bowled by Harrison for 14.

In Kent’s second innings, Crawley lasted just nine balls before he got a leading edge to Conway and was caught by Saif Zaib. After four innings, his average for Kent this season is 15.

For the first time in the match, however, the visitors didn’t have everything their own way. Compton and Northeast steered the hosts to 27-1 at tea and they thrived during the evening session.

Northeast was the first to reach 50, when he cracked Harrison to the mid-wicket boundary and Compton reached the same landmark when he swept the same bowler for four.

There were 3.5 overs to go when Northeast had a concussion check after being hit on the helmet by James Sales. He was cleared to continue, but hit the very next delivery to Bartlett, who took a spectacular catch.

For the second consecutive day the night-watchman, Milnes, was out for a duck, leaving Singh to survive the final two overs.

Report by ECB Reporters’ Network, supported by Rothesay.