Glamorgan's stand-in wicketkeeper Mark Wallace starred with the bat, scoring an unbeaten career-best 80 to help maintain the status quo at the mid-point of their match with Kent at Maidstone.

Despite an excellent pitch at The Mote, batsmen on both sides have shown a disposition for tossing away their own wickets with rash or badly judged shots.

Yet Wallace, only called into the game on Wednesday lunchtime when Adrian Shaw pulled out with a stomach bug, was a notable exception as he and the Welsh middle order took their side to within 18 of Kent's first innings total of 304.

At 114 for six it looked possible that Glamorgan might even follow-on as a succession of players got themselves out, but Darren Thomas led the fightback with a pugnacious 50 as he and Wallace added 76 in 25 overs for the seventh wicket.

Wallace, who had only scored two first-class fifties prior to this match, then teamed up with Steve Watkin to frustrate Kent further in a ninth-wicket partnership of 73 in 21 overs.

Watkin finally went for an excellent 38 and last man Simon Jones went soon after, leaving Glamorgan on 286 and 14 shy of their third batting bonus point, while Wallace remained 20 short of his maiden century.

Home skipper Matthew Fleming was the pick of their attack with three for 57, though Min Patel took credit for 34 tight overs that bagged two for 72.

In the 15 overs through to the close Kent extended that narrow lead to 65 in reaching 47 for one, losing Rob Key leg before when well forward to Darren Thomas for 21.

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