LIVE BLOG: Lancashire v Kent, Day One
Please 'Refresh' this page for updates
1.10pm
Kent 1st inns 0-0 (1 over) Dawkins 0 Finch 0.
Play getting under way in gloriously sunny conditions, a sharp contrast to the weather we had earlier in the day.
James Anderson starts with a maiden from the South (pavilion) End and it will be Tom Bailey sharing the new ball from the North End.
12.40pm - PLAY TO START AT 1.10PM (80 overs)
Toss: Lancashire have won the toss and elected to bowl.
Teams
Lancashire: Keaton Jennings, Harry Singh, Josh Bohannon, Marcus Harris, Ben McDermott, Liam Livingstone, Joe Moores (wkt), George Balderson, Tom Bailey, Tom Aspinwall, James Anderson (capt).
Kent: Harry Finch, Ben Dawkins, Sam Northeast, Daniel Bell-Drummond (capt), Ekansh Singh, Chris Benjamin (wkt), Keith Dudgeon, Bertie Foreman, Matt Milnes, Hasan Mahmud, Matt Parkinson.
12.00pm - EARLY LUNCH TO BE TAKEN AT 12.30
I'm pleased to say we have blue sky and sunny conditions at Stanley Park.
The covers have been removed and practise nets set up for the players, so a prompt start after lunch looks quite likely.
11.20am - EARLY LUNCH TO BE TAKEN
While we wait for the inspection, it has been decided that the players will take an early lunch at 12.30pm.
10.45am
At last, some better news.The rain has stopped, and the umpires are out in the middle in conversation with the groundstaff who are now starting to remove the covers.
The umpires will return for a further inspection at 11.30am.
10.15am
Rain continues to fall at Blackpool, so clearly there will be a delayed start, and nothing much has changed since the earlier post at 9.30pm - except that we have all got a bit wetter!
9.30am
There has been no change in conditions since the 8.45am post, as the rain continues to fall at Stanley Park.
Here is a current view of conditions.
8.45am
Good morning from Stanley Park, Blackpool ahead of our Rothesay County Championship match against Kent.
Current conditions are wet, with cloud cover and some steady drizzle that has forced the groundstaff to replace the covers on the square. It had been dry prior to 8.30am before the latest shower arrived.
It means we will have to wait for the rain to stop before the umpires can make an inspection of the conditions.
Team News
Lancashire
Lancashire have named the following 13-man squad: James Anderson (Capt), Tom Aspinwall, Tom Bailey, George Balderson, Josh Bohannon, Marcus Harris, Tom Hartley, Keaton Jennings, Liam Livingstone, Ben McDermott, Joe Moores (wkt), Harry Singh, Ollie Sutton.
Liam Livingstone plays his first County Championship match since 2021, answering the call from James Anderson and head coach Steven Croft following an impressive run of form for Lancashire Lightning in the Vitality Blast.
Joe Moores is set to become Lancashire’s eighth-youngest first-class cricketer when the 17-year-old takes to the field, while overseas batter Ben McDermott will also make his Red Rose first-class debut in this game.
Kent
Kent also have a squad of 13 that includes Ben Dawkins and Ekansh Singh, both returning after England Lions duty in their white-ball series against South Africa A this past week.
Bangladesh Test fast bowler Hasan Mahmud has joined Kent and makes his debut, while Sam Northeast and Mikey Cohen return to the squad, along with Harry Finch. Grant Stewart, who made a comeback from injury during the first block of T20 fixtures, is also included.
Daniel Bell-Drummond (Captain), Chris Benjamin (wkt), Mikey Cohen, Ben Dawkins, Keith Dudgeon (Overseas player), Harry Finch, Bertie Foreman, Hasan Mahmud (Overseas player), Matt Milnes, Sam Northeast, Matt Parkinson, Ekansh Singh, Grant Stewart.
;