Kent hit back on day two of their Rothesay County Championship match against Lancashire at Canterbury.
Having dismissed the visitors for 284 in their first innings to secure a slender nine-run lead, teenagers Jaydn Denly and Ben Dawkins put on an unbroken and aggressive opening partnership to extend that advantage to three figures by the close.
Kent captain Harry Finch said: “It’s been good overall. I think if you’d given us that at the start of the day, we’d have 100 per cent taken it.
“At one point we probably could have had a lead closer to 80 to 90 runs, so on that front, it was a little bit disappointing and we dropped a couple of catches.
“But overall we’re super proud and super pleased with our efforts today. We stuck at it really well and created chances throughout the whole day.
“Let’s not kid ourselves, they’re a really good team. So that was a really impressive display from us.
“The table suggests that we haven’t had a great season, but there’s definitely been moments this year in every game where we’ve been on top or it’s been level.
“We’ve just probably not been as good at driving home the times when we’ve been ahead. So hopefully, this is one of those situations where we’re ahead and we can really drive that home.
“I’ve got no doubt about the talent in the group. Hopefully we have a good day tomorrow and then see what happens.”
After colliding with Ben Compton on day one, Tawanda Muyeye developed delayed concussion symptoms. He was replaced by Joe Denly, in line with ECB protocols, although as a like-for-like replacement he wasn’t allowed to bowl. Compton himself hurt his wrist and was unable to field, or open.
Lancashire resumed on 19-0 and Kent were buoyed by two early wickets. Matt Quinn (4-43) struck in the fifth over of the morning, getting Keaton Jennings caught at first slip by Ben Dawkins for 17 and Josh Bohannon went for a fifth-ball duck, edging Joey Evison to Dawkins, who caught him at the second attempt.
Although the ball regularly beat the bat, Luke Wells (80) and Marcus Harris put on 82 for the third wicket, Matt Parkinson breaking the partnership when the latter charged at him and was stumped by Harry Finch for 32, leaving Lancashire 118-3 at lunch.
The visitors regained the momentum until Matty Hurst played on to Quinn and was bowled for 24. Parkinson (4-93) then had Wells caught behind.
Quinn caught and bowled Michael Jones for four, then got George Balderson leg before for 11.
When Parkinson had Tom Bailey caught by Jaydn Denly at first slip for three, the visitors were eight down and still 98 behind. But Tom Hartley was dropped twice off Parkinson, by Finch and Mo Rizvi, and alongside Will Williams he steered Lancashire to 254-8 at tea.
The deficit was down to 33 when Williams (26) was leg before to Jaydn Denly but Hartley (64) almost drew his team level before hitting Parkinson down Ekansh Singh’s throat.
With Compton absent, Jaydn Denly and Dawkins immediately went on the attack. The former pulled Hartley for six over mid-wicket and passed fifty with an elegant reverse-sweep off Wells shortly before stumps.
Dawkins survived a loud appeal in the final over, as Bailey bowled a tricky over of off-spin.
Report from ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
