Kent's Joey Evison scored his third fifty of the season, but it was not enough to stop Lancashire from making the most of the opening day of their Vitality County Championship match against Kent at Emirates Old Trafford.
Evison was helped by Grant Stewart, with whom he put on 69 for the seventh wicket, a stand-in which both batsmen took the attack to Lancashire's Test spinners Nathan Lyon and Tom Hartley on an overcast afternoon in Manchester.
The pair came together with their side on 129 for six after George Balderson had taken three first-class wickets in 28 balls, but their calculated aggression had taken the visitors to 203 for seven, with Evison unbeaten on 50, when rain arrived five overs into the evening session and prevented any chance of a resumption.
But Evison and Lyon's aggression was in sharp contrast to the watchful first 75 minutes of the day, when 45 runs were scored in 17 overs. Kent then lost three wickets in four overs. Ben Compton was the first to go when he pushed forward to a Balderson delivery and was caught by wicketkeeper Matty Hurst for 13.
Zak Crawley then struck a trio of fine fours off successive Balderson deliveries, but was dismissed for 41 in the next over when his flat-footed cover drive to Will Williams took another catch at Hurst. And Lancashire's best spell of the morning came a few minutes later when Balderson nipped one off Daniel Bell-Drummond and the Kent skipper was caught by George Bell at third slip for three.
But the session also ended well for the home side when Jack Leaning was bowled for four when a ball from Balderson snaked inside his loose off drive and knocked back his leg stump. That meant Kent had lost four wickets for 27 runs and the home side were in a poor position at lunch on 76 for four.
Things did not get any better for Kent on resumption when Harry Finch was trapped on the crease by Williams for three to leave the visitors on 83 for five. Evison, however, was undaunted and put on 46 for the second wicket with Joe Denly, who then tried to take on Jennings at long-on and was caught by Lyon off the Lancashire skipper for 18.
By mid-afternoon, Lyon was bowling in tandem with Hartley, a tactic to which Evison and Stewart responded with selective attack rather than dull repose. Stewart was particularly keen to hit Lyon through the off side when the Australian bowled short and brought up the pair's fifty partnership when he smashed Hartley over long-on for six.
Only six balls were bowled after tea before a brief rain delay and soon after the players returned, Evison reached his 117-ball fifty with a single off Lyon. But the joy in the away dressing room was short-lived as Stewart was caught by Luke Wells off the very next delivery when he pushed forward with uncharacteristic caution and took an easy catch at slip.
Balderson ended the day with three for 62 and Lyon took two for 42, while Williams, who took two for 28 from 15 overs, needs just one more to reach 200 in first-class cricket.