Lancashire batters start well against Kent

BBC News

23-06-2025

Rothesay County Championship Division Two, Stanley Park, Blackpool (day two)Kent 374: Compton 135; Balderson 3-54, Anderson 2-61Lancashire 120-1: Wells 57*; Evison 1-8Lancashire (2 pts) trail Kent (2 pts) by 254 runsMatch scorecard
Having watched Kent bat for nearly a day and a half to make 374, Lancashire produced a determined response in the long evening session at Blackpool to finish on 120-1 and leave their County Championship match fairly evenly poised with two days left to play.Ben Compton's 135 was the centrepiece of his side's 374 but Luke Wells and Keaton Jennings put on 119 to give supporters a faint hope they might bat past the visitors' score and give their bowlers a chance of forcing their team's first Championship victory of the season on the final day.For their part, Kent's supporters will have been encouraged by the departure of Jennings, who was lbw to Joey Evison for 49 three overs before the close, and by the help Jack Leaning extracted from this slow pitch, especially when bowling outside the two left-handers' off stumps. It all suggests that this match between the bottom sides in Division Two could be set for a fascinating conclusion over the next two days.The morning began almost perfectly for Lancashire when James Anderson had both Leaning and Evison caught at short midwicket by Josh Bohannon inside his opening two overs.But having dismissed Leaning for four and Evison for a 12-ball nought, the home side enjoyed no further successes in the first session. Instead, Compton reached his fourth century of the season – and also his fourth against Lancashire - off 201 balls when he back cut Mitch Stanley to the rope.By lunch, the Kent skipper was unbeaten on 124 and Harry Finch was 28 not out. The pair had put on 60 for the sixth wicket and the second new ball, which was eleven overs old, was hitting the middle of their bats.That trend continued for the first 40 minutes of the afternoon session. But just at the point when it was tricky to see where Lancashire's next wicket might come from, Anderson's bowlers removed both batsmen, Finch, caught behind off Balderson for 52, and Compton, similarly snaffled by Hurst in the next over when nibbling at a ball from Green, for 135. The Kent skipper has batted 402 minutes, faced 296 balls and hit 15 fours and a six.Grant Stewart followed five overs later when his skier was caught at mid-off by Bohannon, whose third catch of the day also gave Stanley his maiden first-class wicket. Matt Parkinson perished to Wells' leg-spin for 11 but Wes Agar enlivened the play before tea by smashing three big sixes in his 41 before he was caught at long off by Stanley long-off Bailey.That wicket ended the Kent innings on 374 with the wickets spread among six bowlers. Balderson was the best and most successful with 3-54. Anderson took 2-51 and Green bagged 2-104 from 37 overs.Despite frequent appeals and a close calls, Wells and Jennings batted with increasing confidence in the 38-over evening session, Wells reaching his fifty off 97 balls with seven fours and a six and finishing unbeaten on 57. Nightwatchman Tom Bailey was nought not out at the close.ECB Reporters' Network supported by Rothesay
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