Kent keep promotion prospects on track as Lancashire face further defeat

Kent were 84 for 2 at stumps, chasing 140 to win their Rothesay County Championship with Lancashire, after another nerve-shredding day in the Division Two promotion race at Canterbury.

Zak Crawley top-scored with 84 as third-placed Kent made 214 in their first innings, Mitch Stanley taking all three wickets to fall on the second day, to finish with four for 61.

Matt Milnes, Khaled Ahmed and Keith Dudgeon all took three wickets apiece as Lancashire were bowled out for 192 second time round, setting Kent a target of 140. Michael Jones was their top scorer with 54.

Kent wobbled to 22 for two in reply, but Tawanda Muyeye and Sam Northeast were unbeaten on 37 and 23 respectively at the close, meaning they need 56 more runs to win on day three.

Lancashire endured a frustrating first hour, as Crawley and Milnes batted Kent into the lead, wiping out a 10-run overnight deficit.

Crawley, 68 overnight, was the first man to go. He was put down by Marcus Harris off James Anderson, before Stanley pinned him in front.

Stanley then got Khaled Ahmed with a toe-crusher for nought, before he bowled Matt Quinn after an entertaining cameo of 13, leaving Milnes unbeaten on 40 and Kent with a first innings lead of 53.

Khaled struck in his first over, getting Keaton Jennings caught by Crawley at first slip, before Jones and Josh Bohannon took Lancashire to 38 for one at lunch. Bohannon, however, went without adding to his 14 soon after, when he edged Quinn to Northeast at second.

Marcus Harris joined Jones for a stand of 71, but just as Lancashire were looking set, Milnes had the latter lbw. Rocky Flintoff then got a pair when he was lbw for a second-ball duck to Dudgeon in the next over.

Milnes took the key wicket of Jones when he had him lbw, leaving Lancashire on 142 for five at tea.

Khaled had Arav Shetty caught behind for 11 in the first over of the evening session before Dudgeon bowled George Balderson's off stump for 13.

Tom Bailey hit eight before he slashed Milnes to Muyeye and Matty Hurst fell into a trap, flicking a Dudgeon full toss for a six, only to sky the next delivery to Bell-Drummond at extra cover.

Milnes then castled Stanley for 1, leaving Kent with 16 overs in the day, but they lost both openers cheaply.

Ben Compton was bowled by Bailey for five and then Balderson, who replaced Anderson after just thee overs, had Crawley caught behind for 13 by Hurst, who was standing up to the stumps.

After that initial shock the runs flowed more freely and Northeast and Muyeye took Kent past the halfway mark, with Muyeye flaying six fours to ease the nerves of the home supporters.