Against Kent at Blackpool, Lancashire seamer Tom Bailey took two wickets in an over while bowling off-breaks.
Bailey shared the new ball with James Anderson, who has stepped in to lead Lancashire, after the latter won the toss and opted to field at Blackpool. He dismissed Wes Agar and finished with 1-46 in Kent’s first-innings score of 374.
Lancashire, 120-1 at stumps on the second day, amassed 519 on the third after Luke Wells (152), Josh Bohannon (124), and Ashton Turner (154) all smashed hundreds. Anderson declared on the overnight total of 639-9.
Match 70, Lancashire vs Kent
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- Ball by ball Over
Kent opened batting with Matt Parkinson, but he fell for four. Despite Jaydn Denly’s 57, they soon became 84-5 and then 116-7. Bailey, who had removed Ben Compton early in the innings, now switched to off-breaks from round the wicket. When he pitched one on to the stumps, the left-handed Denly missed the line and was bowled.
Bailey dismissed Harry Finch four balls later, yet again bowling his off-breaks, caught brilliantly by Keaton Jennings at forward short-leg.
However, as Joey Evison (77 not out) stayed put, Grant Stewart hit a 122-ball 130 from No.9 to not only avoid the innings defeat but save the match. Wes Agar helped Evison bat out time as Kent finished on 328-8. Bailey returned 3-61 and Chris Green 4-24.
This was Lancashire’s sixth draw in eight games. They have lost the other two. With 80 points, they are sixth out of the eight teams in the 2025 County Championship Division Two. Middlesex (77 in eight) and Kent (76 in eight), the two teams below them, have won two games apiece.
