A day to remember. South Wilts batsman Russell Rowe (above) departs after playing a captain's innings in a sterling partnership of 52 with Michael Coles.PLUCKY Wiltshire came within a whisker of causing one of the shocks of the opening round of the Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy when they pushed a star-studded Kent to the limit at Salisbury on Tuesday, writes Mike Turner.

The host county won the toss and invited their more illustrious visitors to bat and were soon reaping the rewards on a damp morning at Lower Bemerton.

Seam bowler Kevin Nash, a gas reader by trade, turned up the heat on the visitors taking 4-46, and the man of the match award.

Kent's trio of test batsmen, Geraint Jones, Rob Key and Martin van Jaarsveld, were all back in the pavilion with less than 40 runs between them.

Key even suffered the ignominy of being dismissed for a duck.

Michael Carberry's 41 was the highlight of their innings which lasted 46.5 overs and at least gave them a total to test the part-timers.

However, a nervous opening prompted the exits of South Wilts' Australian A batsman Chris Rogers, 3, and Chris Budd, 0, leaving their dream in tatters at 9-2.

However, while Wiltshire skipper Russell Rowe was at the crease, the score continued to tick over nicely, much to the delight of a sizeable crowd at his home ground.

Rowe's partnership with Bridgewater's Michael Coles was worth a valuable 52.

He rode his luck at times, but the South Wilts batsman defended heroically for 29 before being stumped by England wicket keeper Geraint Jones.

Richard Bedbrook took up the challenge and his unbeaten 24 put Wiltshire in sight of what would have been an historic victory. Unfortunately with wickets tumbling around him, he ran out of partners.

Wiltshire still required 11 off the last over with one wicket remaining, but as the tension mounted, Neil Shardlow was run out off its first ball.

Kent now face either Derbyshire or Durham in the next round, but even if they reach the competition's final at Lord's they will be hard-pressed to match the drama of what was the first and sadly, destined to be the last, tie of its kind at Wilton Road.