LIVE BLOG: Lancashire v Kent, Day One
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5.26pm, PLAY ABANDONED FOR THE DAY
Kent 1st innings 203-7 (69 overs) Evison 50* Agar 4*
4.50pm, RAIN DELAY
Kent 1st innings 203-7 (69 overs) Evison 50* Agar 4*
Further rain has arrived and this time it is heavier and forces the groundstaff into getting all the covers in place, unlike the previous short stoppage.
4.38pm
Kent 1st innings 198-7 (67 overs) Evison 50* Agar 0*
No sooner are we back under way when another wicket falls!
Nathan Lyon strikes again, Grant Stewart putting in a big forward stride but edging to Luke Wells at slip for 45.
Meanwhile Joey Evison has reached his fifty from 114 balls.
4.12pm, RAIN DELAY
Kent 1st innings 186-6 (65 overs) Evison 47* Stewart 36*
We managed one over after tea bowled by Nathan Lyon and rain has now stopped play.
3.45pm, TEA Day 1
Kent 1st innings 184-6 (64 overs) Evison 46* Stewart 35*
Joey Evison and Grant Stewart have played some positive cricket as they look to turnaround Kent's fortunes this afternoon.
They are going well, their 50 partnership arriving off 92 balls, courtesy of a six by Stewart off Hartley just before tea.
2.55pm
Kent 1st innings 129-6 (47.4 overs) Evison 26* Stewart 0*
Nathan Lyon has a wicket!
Joe Denly is tempted into hitting a big shot off Lyon but he doesn't clear the fielder at long on, who happens to be a delighted Red Rose skipper Keaton Jennings who takes the catch.
Judging from the smile on Jennings face, that looks like a plan has come borne fruit.
Denly out for 18 to end a 46-run partnership.
2.44pm
Kent 1st innings 120-5 (44 overs) Denly 14* Evison 24*
Joey Evison has played attractive, attaking shots driving boundaries off Nathan Lyon and George Balderson.
Balderson is still finding movement in this pitch to trouble the batters.
2.19pm
Kent 1st innings 95-5 (37 overs) Denly 10* Evison 8*
Joey Evison drives Tom Bailey for four, Kent's first boundary off the bat for 16 overs.
And we now have spin for the first time with Nathan Lyon bowling from the James Anderson End.
1.53pm
Kent 1st innings 83-5 (30.4 overs) Denly 6* Evison 0*
Back under way after lunch and Will Williams makes an early breakthrough trapping Harry Finch lbw for 3 with an inswinging delivery.
1.40pm
There was a nice moment for birthday boy Tom Hartley today when the 25 year-old received his Lancashire cap from Lancashire Cricket Chair Andy Anson.
1.00pm, LUNCH Day 1
Kent 1st innings 76-4 (28 overs) Denly 5* Finch 1*
Ben Compton and Zak Crawley made a cautious and steady start after Keaton Jennings had put Kent into bat on an overcast morning and with the floodlights switched on from the start of play.
But after the openers had put on 45 runs during the first hour, two terrific spells by Will Williams and George Balderson (3-35) have turned the morning around for Lancashire.
It's been an all seam attack so far with Nathan Lyon and Tom Hartley not called upon so far.
12.55pm
Kent 1st innings 72-4 (26 overs) Denly 2* Finch 0*
George Balderson has a third wicket, bowling Jack Leaning for 4 with a pitched up delivery that the batsman plays around and misses.
12.37pm
Kent 1st innings 67-3 (22 overs) Leaning 3* Denly 0*
George Balderson strikes again, squaring up Daniel Bell-Drummond who edges to George Bell at third slip for 3.
This has been a great fightback by Lancashire in the second hour of the morning session.
12.28pm
Kent 1st innings 63-2 (20.1 overs) Bell-Drummond 3* Leaning 0*
Zak Crawley has gone on the attack, hitting George Balderson for three consecutive fours.
But this attacking approach has also brought his downfall after the Kent opener edges a drive off Will Williams to Matty Hurst for 41.
12.15pm
Kent 1st innings 45-1 (17.3 overs) Crawley 26* Bell-Drummond 0*
George Balderson is rewarded for an excellent spell with the wicket of Ben Compton who edges behind to Matty Hurst for 13.
12.00pm
Kent 1st innings 35-0 (14 overs) Compton 11* Crawley 18*
Ben Compton and Zak Crawley are slowly but steadily building this opening partnership during the first hour of the day.
Lancashire seam trio of Bailey, Williams and Balderson have beaten the bat and asked a few questions of the openers but without success so far.
11.20am
Kent 1st innings 10-0 (4 overs) Compton 0* Crawley 7*
A fairly cagey, watchful start by the Kent openers although Zak Crawley struck his second ball for four from a lovely, punched, back foot drive.
11.03am
Kent 1st innings 0-0 (1 over) Compton 0* Crawley 0*
Tom Bailey starts with a maiden to Ben Compton from the Brian Statham End with Will Williams about to bowl to Zak Crawley.
10.30am
Toss: Won by Lancashire who have elected to bowl.
Teams
Lancashire: Keaton Jennings (capt), Luke Wells, Josh Bohannon, George Balderson, George Bell, Tom Bruce, Tom Hartley, Matty Hurst (wkt), Tom Bailey, Nathan Lyon, Will Williams.
Lancashire have Tom Hartley returning to the side in place of Jack Blatherwick.
Kent: Ben Compton, Zak Crawley, Daniel Bell-Drummond (capt), Jack Leaning, Joe Denly, Harry Finch (wkt), Joey Evison, Grant Stewart, Wes Agar, Nathan Gilchrist, Matt Parkinson.
9.30am
Good morning from Emirates Old Trafford ahead of the first day our Vitality County Championship match against Kent.
The weather conditions are dry but cloudy at present.
Play is scheduled to start at 11am, with lunch at 1pm and tea at 3.40pm or when 32 overs remain.
Both teams come into this fixture, after a week off, on the back of innings defeats; Lancashire at Essex – the only team to have defeated the Red Rose side (three times) in their last 23 County Championship matches – with Kent losing to defending champions Surrey.
TEAM NEWS
Lancashire
Head Coach Dale Benkenstein has named a 13-man squad.
Saqib Mahmood continued his recovery from a lumbar stress fracture as he captained the Second XI against Warwickshire, bowling 16 overs across two innings, whilst Mitchell Stanley's rehabilitation from a knee injury continues.
The Red Rose remain without Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone, Phil Salt and Luke Wood who are all currently playing in the Indian Premier League.
Squad: Keaton Jennings (capt), Luke Wells, Josh Bohannon, George Balderson, George Bell, Tom Bruce, Tom Hartley, Matty Hurst (wkt), George Lavelle, Tom Bailey, Jack Blatherwick, Nathan Lyon, Will Williams.
Kent
Kent Head Coach Matt Walker has named a squad of 14 with seamers Wes Agar and Nathan Gilchrist returning to the squad after not featuring against Surrey as a precaution. Spinner Hamidullah Qadri and all-rounder Marcus O’Riordan could both feature for the first time this season.
Former Lancashire leg spinner Matt Parkinson is set to make his first appearance as an away player for Kent following his move to Canterbury last winter.
Matt Quinn (back) remains unfit after sustaining injuries during pre-season while Michael Cohen (stress fracture) has been ruled out of the 2024 season.
Kent have a new captain this year in top order batter Daniel Bell-Drummond, who has taken over from Sam Billings.
Squad: Ben Compton, Zak Crawley, Daniel Bell-Drummond (capt), Jack Leaning, Joe Denly, Harry Finch (wkt), Joey Evison, Grant Stewart, Wes Agar, Nathan Gilchrist, Matt Parkinson, Hamidullah Qadri, George Garrett, Marcus O’Riordan.