RYAN Sidebottom helped Championship leaders Yorkshire make up for lost time yesterday with the most explosive spell of his career against Kent at Headingley.

The left-arm swing bowler, who had just returned to the team after a groin injury, swept aside the early batting with four wickets for two runs in 11 balls as Kent slumped to 26 for five.

It was the first time Sidebottom had captured four wickets in a Championship innings and it was only shortly before the toss that Yorkshire decided to play him ahead of Paul Hutchison.

Kent still managed a partial recovey from Sidebottom's blast, however, and at the close they were 127 for seven off 71 overs.

Bursts of light rain delayed the start until after an early lunch and Kent's snail-like pace upon being put in to bat was largely due to wayward bowling from Chris Silverwood and Matthew Hoggard.

Silverwood, particularly, had difficulty finding a decent line in his first Championship match of the season after recovering from a heel injury, and Kent had scraped together only five by the tenth over when David Fulton was lbw to Hoggard whose figures of 8-6-2-1 when rested were rather flattering.

Kent crawled to 17 for one in 20 overs but their careful start was quickly undermined by Sidebottom who began by having Robert Key caught at first slip by James Middlebrook after taking 83 minutes and 58 balls to score three.

Then Sidebottom put the skids under Kent with three wickets in four balls, Alan Wells being given out caught behind before Matthew Walker and Alan Ealham went to consecutive deliveries, Walker being lbw offering no stroke and Ealham edging a splendid delivery which slanted across him.

Sidebottom at this stage had taken four for six in eight overs but Kent's overseas batsman, Rahul Dravid, survived the storm and rallied Kent with an impressive 52 stand in 20 overs with wicketkeeper Paul Nixon who departed for 27 when he was lbw to one which nipped back.

The recovery was continued by Kent captain Matthew Fleming and he helped take the score to 121 before he glanced Silverwood to Richard Blakey who had earlier put the same batsman down attempting a similar stroke against Hoggard.

Dravid battled away in poor light and at the close was unbeaten on 45 with Min Patel still to get off the mark.

SCOREBOARD

Yorkshire v Kent

at Headingley

Yorkshire Won Toss

Kent First Innings

Fulton lbw b Hoggard 3

Key c Middlebrook b Sidebottom 3

Dravid not out 45

Wells c Blakey b Sidebottom 2

Walker lbw b Sidebottom 0

Ealham c Blakey b Sidebottom 0

Nixon lbw b Hoggard 27

Fleming c Blakey b Silverwood 29

Patel not out 0

Extras b7 lb9 nb2 18

Total 7 wkts (71 overs) 127

Fall: 1-5 2-18 3-26 4-26 5-26 6-78 7-121

Overnight bowling: Silverwood 17-7-31-1 Hoggard 17-10-16-2 Hamilton 16-7-27-0 Sidebottom 16-7-25-4 Middlebrook 5-1-12-0

Umpires: J Hampshire and P Willey