Kent eased their way to an historic seven-wicket victory against Lancashire on the fourth morning at Old Trafford to clinch their first Vitality County Championship Division 1 win of the season on Monday.

Skipper Daniel Bell-Drummond led his team to their 164-run target with an excellent unbeaten 79, despite some good pressure applied by Lancashire bowlers, with Nathan Lyon (2-48) taking the two wickets to fall. It was Kent’s first victory at Old Trafford since 1997.

The visitors resumed 71-1, needing a further 93 runs to win and a tense battle developed in the first hour as Lancashire applied good pressure from the spin attack of Australian Lyon and Tom Hartley (0-42).

Both created chances but Kent’s Ben Compton and Bell-Drummond countered with some solid defence and good running while riding their luck at times on a turning wicket.

Compton survived a dropped catch when, on 27, top edging a sweep off Lyon to backward square leg where a diving Will Williams initially caught the ball - only for it to be jarred out of his hands on landing.

Lyon was not to be denied for long, though. He dived to his right to take a good catch off his own bowling after Compton shuffled down the wicket and drove straight back to the bowler after making 29 with the away side 91-1 and still 73 runs away.

Bell-Drummond calmed any visiting nerves, reaching his 50 off 115 balls – he now has scored at least 50 in all four matches this season, converting two of them into centuries – and followed by hitting just the second boundary of the day, lofting Hartley to long-on.

Jack Leaning dug in alongside Bell-Drummond to make 16 but edged to Luke Wells at slip after playing back to Lyon when 35 runs were required.

Joe Denly (19 not out) helped Bell-Drummond knock those runs off with few alarms to clinch the win just before the lunch interval.

It is Kent’s first Championship win over Lancashire since 2013 and it moves them up to sixth in the Division 1 table. Lancashire are still without a win this summer and remain bottom.

Bell-Drummond said: “I’m very proud. Old Trafford has been a tough place to come for us historically - Lancashire are a very good team and pushed us every day - but we’re glad to get the win.”

Completion of the win vindicated Kent’s decision to enforce the follow-on after Nathan Gilchrist (6-24) and Australian overseas Wes Agar (4-35) skittled Lancashire for just 92 in the first innings.

Kent themselves had been in trouble in their first innings, only for all-rounder Joey Evison to deliver a fine 71 not out, supported by Grant Stewart (45) in their 261 all out.

Bell-Drummond added: “There was a lot of thinking around the follow-on - the guys were on a roll with the ball, so we thought to put them under pressure, which we did.

“Big credit to them. They bowled so well and got their rewards.”

Kent gained 20 points from the match while Lancashire took three points.

Matt Walker’s men return to red-ball action against Worcestershire at Canterbury from Friday.