MATCH REPORT: Livingstone returns with five-star show
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Liam Livingstone marked his return to first-class cricket after a near five-year absence by taking the second five-wicket haul of his career as Kent were shot out for 178 on an eventful opening day at Stanley Park.
The visitors, 111-2 at tea, fell away steadily after the break with Livingstone taking an outstanding 5-55 after James Anderson (2-13 from 12 overs) and Tom Bailey (2-23 off 13) had combined to take three wickets in three balls immediately following the interval.
Facing nine overs at the end of the day, Lancashire lost Harry Singh bowled for 0 and Keaton Jennings lbw shouldering arms for 13, both to Keith Dudgeon, to be 17-2 and trailing by 161 runs with both Josh Bohannon and nightwatch Bailey 0 not out at stumps.
Debuts were in abundance on the opening morning with 17-year-old wicketkeeper Joe Moores becoming the eighth-youngest cricketer to play for Lancashire and overseas batter Ben McDermott also making his Red Rose first-class bow. Kent, likewise, had their overseas fast bowler Hasan Mahmud and spinner Bertie Foreman making their Championship debuts for the county.
It was Anderson who made the early breakthrough when play began at 1.10pm after rain at Blackpool had wiped out the opening session. The Lancashire captain had troubled both Kent openers during an excellent seven over spell of 1-6 and gained reward when Harry Finch (2) edged to gully where Jennings took an excellent catch over his head.
George Balderson, whose efforts surely deserved more than one wicket he gained, followed that by nipping one away to bowl Sam Northeast for 10 to leave Kent struggling on 24-2 in the 16th over.
Such was the dominance of the Lancashire attack during the first half of the session, it took 19 overs before the first boundary was struck by Ben Dawkins when he square drove Bailey past point.
The second part of the extended afternoon belonged to Kent as Dawkins and Daniel Bell-Drummond fought back with a splendid partnership that had added 87 by the tea interval.
Teenager Dawkins, who had survived a searching start to his innings, settled in to reach his fifty off 114 balls that included a six emphatically thumped over midwicket off Livingstone while Kent skipper Bell-Drummond used all his experience to carve out a solid 33.
Both batters looked well settled by the time tea arrived, but both departed without adding to their scores as three wickets fell in three balls immediately after the interval to transform the day.
Anderson struck with the sixth ball of the evening when Bell-Drummond nicked behind to give Moores his maiden first-class victim, and Bailey then removed Dawkins lbw for 54 and Chris Benjamin bowled with the first two deliveries of the following over to leave Kent suddenly in trouble on 111-5 with both set batters gone.
The visitors’ struggles continued at the hands of Livingstone who took all five remaining wickets with a terrific spell from the North End. It was an outstanding return to the first-class game by the all-rounder who took those five wickets for 20 runs in a 46-ball sequence.
Bertie Foreman was caught at backward point for 6, Ekansh Singh swept to Bohannon at backward short leg for 17, Dudgeon gave Moores his first stumping, and both Matt Milnes (22) and Matt Parkinson skied catches into the deep.
It was Livingstone’s – and Lancashire’s – day despite the late loss of those two late wickets.
“It was a long day,” admitted Liam Livingstone. “It's obviously a bit different to what I've been playing.”
“It's very different and it took a little bit of adjusting and working out different ways to bowl for me, especially. But once I got into a rhythm, it felt like I hadn't really been away.
“It was a challenge. One I was looking forward to and I really enjoyed it.
Asked about the difference between today and T20, he added:
“I think you've just got to try and get people out. Whereas usually you just try not to get hit (in T20).
“And they're two very different skills. So, you've got to try and bowl a bit slower. You've got to try and do something in the air or off the pitch to force a mistake.
“Try and be a bit more clever. Try to take one side of the ground out of the game.
“I felt like I was in the game with the wicket. It was a bit tacky and bouncing off a length. So, I felt the odds were more in my favour going off spin around the wicket than it was bowling leg spin.
“It felt more of a day-four wicket than a day-one wicket. So it's been an interesting day going forward, I think.
“Obviously, we're pretty happy. When we were coming out after tea, we didn't expect to get three in three, that is for sure.
“It's one of those wickets where it feels like it's hard to get someone out, but it also feels really hard to score.
“If they bowl well, we'll have to be really disciplined and patient and maybe use the time in the game or maybe go the complete opposite way. As soon as they miss, try and score as many as we can. Because it felt quite slow, the pitch.
“I stood at the first slip for most of the day and it didn't really feel like the ball was going to be quick enough to come to me. It's a very club-like wicket, to be honest.
“We've got to pick a way to play and commit to that method and go from there.”
Ken Grime
Photos: Luke Adams & Dan Adams
