Lancashire v Kent, Rothesay County Championship, Days 1-3

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Hasan Mahmud returned career-best innings and match figures on his Kent debut to inspire his side to a 140-run victory over Lancashire inside three days at Blackpool.

Needing a record-breaking 424 to win, the home side were dismissed for 283, Hasan finishing with six for 69 in the innings and nine for 101 in the match.

The main Lancashire resistance came from Marcus Harris, who made 91 not out, and Keaton Jennings, who made 61 and put on 104 for the third wicket with Harris to encourage home supporters’ hopes that their team would reach the highest-ever fourth-innings total to win a game.

Kent take 19 points for their third victory in four games while Lancashire collect three for their third defeat in four.

Steven Croft, Lancashire Head Coach said:

“I think we did well with the ball first up but if we're brutally honest with ourselves, we were slow into the first session.

“Maybe (we could have) shaved a few off their first innings and obviously do better in our first innings batting and make it a one-innings game.

“We knew the wicket was going to get better and then it's a one-inning shootout. The 87 all out obviously didn't help.

“I think the wicket caught both sides cold a bit. The pitch did a little bit that first day.

“I think it was a mix of some good bowling, some average batting. The game really accelerated in that first day and a half.

“We were slow out of the blocks once again, which is an area we've said time and time again we need to improve on.

“We fought back well throughout the game, but we had a big hill to climb from the start.

“We didn't stem the flow, losing those wickets in clumps and not getting a partnership together.

“We felt that second innings, the pitch was better to bat on. It felt like we had a real premium on every wicket and every partnership. Yes, it was laid out in front of us to try and win a game, but I think we have to have that same intent in the first innings with the bat to lay out a game and set a platform to go off.

“Like I said, they weren't easy conditions to bat in and they bowled well, but we should have done some better stuff with the bat."

Day 2: Kent 1st inns 178 all out (69 overs) Ben Dawkins 54, Liam Livingstone 5-55. Lancashire 1st inns 87 all out (32 overs) Keith Dudgeon 6-21, Hasan Mahmud 3-32.
Kent 2nd inns 320-8 (79 overs) lead by 411 runs.

Keith Dudgeon took six for 32 to help Kent completely dominate the second day of their Rothesay County Championship match against Lancashire.

Bangladeshi bowler Hasan Mahmud supported Dudgeon by taking three for 32 on his Kent debut as the home side lost their last eight wickets for 70 runs and were bowled out for 87 on a dramatic morning at Stanley Park.

Having seen their bowlers earn a 91-run advantage, Chris Benjamin made 101 not out and opener Harry Finch 83 as Kent strengthened their position to end the day on 320 for eight, giving them a lead of 411 with two days left to play.

Lancashire captain, James Anderson, said:

“It’s been a really tough day for us. Yesterday we stuck at our job but they played well and then this morning – it’s happened a few times this year, we lost early wickets and couldn’t get ourselves back into the game.

“They bowled really well but I thought we could have offered a bit more with the bat. And then we didn’t quite get it right with the ball.

“The guys are working hard, it’s just been a case of us losing wickets in clusters and you just can’t do that. Part of the challenge of four- and five-day cricket is soaking up pressure and we just weren’t good enough today at doing that.

“We tried not to chase it with the ball but it feels like quite a negative two days for us. We just have to go into tomorrow believing we can win the game, otherwise there’s no point turning up at all.

Day 1: Kent 1st inns 178 all out (69 overs) Ben Dawkins 54, Liam Livingstone 5-55. Lancashire 1st inns 17-2 (9 overs) trail by 161 runs.

Liam Livingstone marked his first County Championship appearance for nearly five years by taking five for 55 to ensure Lancashire had the best of the opening day of their Rothesay County Championship against Kent. 

Fresh from his 85 not out in Tuesday’s Blast victory against Durham, Livingstone took the last five wickets for 20 runs in 46 balls with a mixture of off- and leg-spin as the visitors lost their last eight wickets for 67 runs, collapsing from 111 for two at tea to 178 not out.  

Opener Ben Dawkins had earlier made 54 for Kent, who struck back when Keith Dudgeon bowled Harry Singh for nought. And Lancashire suffered another blow ten balls before the close when Keaton Jennings was leg-before to Dudgeon for 13 and the home side finished the day on 17 for two.

Liam Livingstone said:

“It was a long day. But yeah, it's obviously a bit different to what I've been playing. It's a different game when you've been away for so long and then you come back and people are trying to smack you out the ground every ball.

“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.

“I think you've just got to try and get people out. Whereas usually you just try not to get hit.  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.”