Vitality County Championship Division One, Spitfire County Ground, Canterbury (Day Four)
Match Summary:
- Kent: 244 & 222 (Stobo 64; Williams 3-26, Bailey 3-36)
- Lancashire: 549-9 dec (Bohannon 205, Wells 150, Hurst 50; Garrett 3-89)
- Result: Lancashire (23 pts) defeated Kent (1 pt) by an innings and 83 runs
- Scorecard: [Link to scorecard]
Lancashire secured a comprehensive victory over Kent by an innings and 83 runs in their County Championship match at Canterbury.
Lancashire bowled out Kent for 222 in their second innings, with notable bowling performances from Will Williams (3-26) and Tom Bailey (3-36). Despite Charlie Stobo achieving his highest first-class score of 64, Kent were dismissed after 30.2 overs on the fourth day.
This win significantly bolsters Lancashire's chances of avoiding relegation, while Kent remains at the bottom of the table.
The result seemed inevitable after Kent lost several wickets midway through the first day. The home side, missing six key players due to injury or unavailability, struggled to replicate the form that saw them win at Old Trafford earlier in the season.
Resuming on 143-6 with a deficit of 162, expectations were low for Kent to extend the match deep into the fourth day. Beyers Swanepoel, batting with Tawanda Muyeye as his runner, was the first to be dismissed, cutting a delivery from Tom Bailey to Jack Blatherwick for 26 in the morning's fourth over. However, Stobo and Matt Parkinson put up a resilient partnership, lasting 18.3 overs.
Parkinson's attempt at a pull shot against Nathan Lyon resulted in a dropped catch by Bailey at backward square leg, but he was dismissed by the next ball he faced. Stobo reached his second first-class fifty in the following over by driving Luke Wells for four. However, Parkinson, left with the strike, was pinned lbw by Wells for seven.
Wells then had George Garrett caught at first slip by Keaton Jennings for five. The match concluded when Williams, using the new ball, uprooted Stobo's off-stump, sealing Lancashire's victory.