Lancashire v Kent: Northeast battles as hosts take control
Monday 27th April 2015
Sam Northeast passed 5,000 first class runs with a gritty 48 not out as Kent lost regular wickets in their reply to Lancashire's 444 first innings total.
Zimbabwean bowler Kyle Jarvis (3/35) dismissed Kent openers Joe Denly and Daniel Bell-Drummond for 28 either side of Rob Key, Brendan Nash nicked a short ball from debutant Jordan Clark to 'keeper Alex Davies before tea.
Northeast and Darren Stevens added 55 for the fifth wicket before the all-rounder shouldered arms, out LBW to Australian paceman Peter Siddle for 15.
Northeast and Sam Billings looked to accelerate the scoring before Billings was ran out athletically by Alviro Petersen after 28 off 37 balls including six boundaries.
Matt Coles found the rope three times as Kent claimed their first batting point of the season before he was bowled by Simon Kerrigan for 19 from 31 deliveries before rain stopped play on day two shortly before 6pm.
Earlier, Mitch Claydon struck three times on the second morning to help Kent dismiss Lancashire for 444 in the LV= County Championship match at Emirates Old Trafford.
The Australian finished with figures of 4 for 103 after Darren Stevens (1/55 off 19 overs) removed debutant Jordan Clark with the first ball of the day, caught behind by Billings who claimed six first-innings catches.
The six dismissals equalled the record for a Kent wicketkeeper against Lancashire, set by Alan Knott at Folkestone in 1967.
Ivan Thomas (1/75 off 27 overs) was the most economical bowler and got just reward when he claimed the scalp of Australian Peter Siddle, pouched behind again by Billings for 12.
Lancashire wicketkeeper-batsman Alex Davies fell just before lunch, a run short of his maiden first-class century, as Claydon returned as he edged behind to Matt Coles (3/79) at slip.
Tom Bailey was next to go: top-edging Claydon to the grateful gloveman Billings for 21.
Tail-end resistance from Simon Kerrigan and Kyle Jarvis added 32 for the final wicket before Claydon found Kerrigan edge to give Billings his sixth catch of the innings to end the morning session.