Honours even as Lancashire scrap

Lancashire 266 and 103 for 3 v Kent 249
Scorecard

Lancashire limped to an overall lead of 120 runs with seven second innings wickets intact in Canterbury after another cut and thrust day that saw 10 wickets fall on the second day of the County Championship Division One match against Kent.

The visitors dismissed the hosts for 249 for a slender first innings lead of 17, before slumping to 52 for 3 second time around. However, they were rescued by a fourth-wicket stand of 51 between Shivnarine Chanderpaul (23 not out) and Steven Croft (38no).

The visitors reached the game's midway mark on 103 for 3 having again suffered at the hands of their first innings nemesis, Darren Stevens - who took two wickets for 38 runs - and Simon Cook (1 for 26).

Stevens, who took three Red Rose wickets for no runs in the first innings, snared both openers Tom Smith (five) and Paul Horton (29) leg before wicket. Cook then joined the party by pinning Mark Chilton lbw for seven, but only after a thoughtful period of reflection by umpire Tim Robinson.

Chanderpaul, fresh from a first innings golden duck, dug in thereafter with Croft to extend the Lancashire lead into three figures as Kent, having turned to spin in the shape of James Tredwell and Martin van Jaarsveld, struggled to beat the bat.

The second day started with Kent making steady headway in the first session with a third wicket stand of 76 in 28 overs between Joe Denly and van Jaarsveld before the Lancashire seamers finally discovered a dangerous line and length either side of the lunch break.

Van Jaarsveld (34), cutting off the back foot against Kyle Hogg, picked out the fielder at backward point then, soon after the resumption, Geraint Jones (10) dragged the ball onto his stumps off the bowling of Glen Chapple.

Chapple, the pick of Lancashire's attack with 4 for 45, then nipped one back off the seam as Denly shouldered arms and pegged back the right-hander's off stump - his 69 was his second best score of a disappointing championship season.

Although the Kent tail all made starts, the innings unravelled thereafter as left-arm spinner Gary Keedy held sway. Alex Blake was pinned leg before on the back foot, Simon Cook miscued to cover when aiming to leg and Matt Coles mistimed to short midwicket as Keedy bagged 4 for 49 and Kent gave up a 17-run deficit.