MATCH REPORT: Lancashire collapse as Kent press home advantage
Lancashire suffered a calamitous first innings collapse as Kent’s bowlers had a day to remember at Emirates Old Trafford.
Nathan Gilchrist took a career-best six for 24 as the Red Rose were shot out for 92 in 30 overs after they had earlier taken the last three Kent wickets to bowl the visitors out for 261.
Following-on, Lancashire fared better second time around with two fifty partnerships taking them to 119 for four by the close.
That leaves the Red Rose side trailing by 50 runs after two days of this Vitality County Championship match, but with a lot of work to do tomorrow if they are to stave off a second defeat of the season.
Six wickets fell for 10 runs in 46 deliveries as Gilchrist and Wes Agar (four for 35) exploited seaming, overcast conditions superbly to reduce the Lancashire first innings from 30 for one to 40 for seven in a frantic 35 minutes during the afternoon.
The Red Rose had lost Luke Wells for 10 to a great catch by Jack Leaning at second slip off Agar before Josh Bohannon became the first of six wickets to fall in rapid succession when he bottom-edged a pull off Gilchrist for 9.
Agar next took two wickets in two balls; Keaton Jennings caught behind off a seaming delivery for 4 and Tom Bruce lbw first ball. Gilchrist claimed the next three, George Bell, George Balderson and Tom Hartley falling to catches in the cordon behind the wicket to leave Lancashire reeling at tea on 48 for seven.
Tom Bailey followed, caught behind down the leg side off Agar for 5, soon after the resumption to make the score 51 for eight, at which point Matty Hurst counter-attacked. The twenty-year-old scooped Grant Stewart for six, pulled Agar over fine leg for another and straight drove a four in an over that cost the Kent seamer 17 runs.
Hurst’s belligerence ended on 36 (off 46 balls) when he pulled Gilchrist to Zak Crawley at deep midwicket and Will Williams was last out after becoming Gilchrist’s sixth victim when edging behind.
With a lead of 169 runs, Kent enforced the follow-on with Jennings and Wells starting brightly in taking 50 off the first 52 balls before Wells departed for 22, edging a drive at Gilchrist to Leaning at second slip.
Jennings and Bohannon countered with a positive alliance, posting their fifty partnership off 62 balls, but both departed late in the day as three wickets fell for 3 runs; Bohannon for 31 caught at slip off Joey Evison, Jennings brilliantly stumped down the leg side by Harry Finch for 40 to give the returning Matt Parkinson a wicket, and nightwatchman Williams bowled by Gilchrist for one.
Balderson (3 not out) and Bruce (12 not out) will be at the crease when play resumes tomorrow.
The three remaining Kent wickets added 58 runs when the second day resumed after a 90-minute delay. That was largely due to all-rounder Evison who finished unbeaten on 71 and received good support from the lower order.
The Lancashire attack steadily picked their way through the tail with Balderson, Nathan Lyon and Williams all finishing with three wickets apiece.
Agar made 13 before playing back and across to be bowled by Lyon, Gilchrist edged behind off Bailey for 10 and Parkinson was the last out after edging to fourth slip for 3 to give Williams his 200th first-class wicket with Kent 261 all out.
Those runs soon looked priceless as Kent roared back into the game on a poor day for the Red Rose.
“That was a pretty tough day,” admitted Red Rose skipper Keaton Jennings.
“They had some serious energy about them and were pretty good. We weren’t quite good enough.
“Guys can always look at their decision making. You can always influence the way guys bowl at you and put pressure back on them.
“Even if you are just trying to survive, you can do it pro-actively. It’s for each individual to look at their own game and how they want to go about it.
“We saw Hursty went about it completely different to everyone else and he got the top score of the innings.
“Second innings, we went about our work in a slightly different fashion, but we probably shouldn’t be four down.
“It’s incredibly annoying. Me and Wellsy said if we can be there tonight, it will change the entire flow of the game. The same when Bosh was there. We both got out, so you continue to hamper your progress in the game.
“I would ask the people supporting us to get behind the lads. There are some very young lads in that changing room with not a wealth of experience behind them and I want them to feel backed and supported.
“The guys will talk tonight, and hopefully with two lads who have first-class hundreds behind them, and a few lads who have the opportunity to get a first-class hundred on their CB, it could be an exciting day tomorrow.
“We’re looking at it very optimistically. Let’s come in tomorrow with fresh ambition. If we bat the day tomorrow you are suddenly two hundred ahead. The game looks entirely different then with two world class spinners and a really good seam attack on a fourth day Emirates Old Trafford pitch.”
Ken Grime
Photos: George Franks
