Mitch Stanley’s first five-wicket haul helped Lancashire bowl out Kent on day one of their Division Two match at Canterbury.
Ben Compton hit 77 and Ben Dawkins 60 but Kent lurched from 217-2 to 274-5, before the next four wickets fell for four runs. Stanley took 5-80 and Tom Hartley 3-68, although the bowling was marred by 37 extras, including 26 no-balls.
Luke Wells and Keaton Jennings then survived eight overs to reach stumps on three and 10 respectively.
James Anderson travelled with Lancashire but was left out of the starting XI, while Kent handed a first-class debut to Mo Rizvi and Michael Cohen made his first red ball appearance for the hosts.
Stanley struck in the sixth over to get Jaydn Denly caught behind for eight, but it was an otherwise joyless morning for Lancashire, with Kent reaching 122-1 at lunch.
Dawkins crunched Stanley through point to bring up his maiden first-class fifty and Compton then eased to the same milestone with two off the same bowler.
When Stanley then appealed for caught behind against Dawkins for a delivery that seemed to catch the batter’s shirt, it was turned down to a chorus of catcalls from the crowd, although Dawkins soon perished when he flicked the 24-year-old seamer to Michael Jones at midwicket, ending a stand of 136.
Tawanda Muyeye, out for a golden duck in the Vitality Blast quarter-final between these two sides on Saturday, cracked Tom Hartley back over his head for six and even Compton charged down the wicket on a couple of occasions.
But their partnership was interrupted when they collided with such force while attempting a second run that Muyeye’s helmet flew off.
Compton stayed down in the middle, while Muyeye staggered to his feet before collapsing after making his ground. The ball was ruled dead in accordance with the ECB’s concussion guidelines and both batters needed treatment. After an 11-minute delay both were able to continue.
Muyeye was then hit on the upper arm and dropped by Matty Hurst off Stanley when he was on 29, but any doubts about how well he was seeing it were banished when he dumped Hartley for six over midwicket.
He then produced an outstanding upper cut to hit Stanley for six over point, only to play on to Hartley in the next over, bowled for 48.
From here on, everything went south for the hosts. Stanley had Compton caught behind and Hartley bowled Ekansh Singh for four, leaving Kent on 248-5 at tea.
Harry Finch and Joey Evison seemed to have stabilised things until three wickets fell in seven deliveries.
Finch was unlucky to be given caught behind to Wells and Rizvi lasted just two balls before he chopped on to the same bowler. Hartley then had Evison caught at first slip for 22.
Stanley finished Kent off, bowling Matt Quinn for one with the new ball and getting Matt Parkinson caught behind for 12.
The closest Kent came to a wicket was when Corey Flintoff, on as sub for Muyeye, missed a difficult chance to get catch Wells off Evison in the final over.
Report supplied by ECB Reporters’ Network, supported by Rothesay
