Kent produced an improved bowling display to take seven wickets on the opening day of their County Championship clash with Lancashire.

The hosts opted to bowl first after winning the toss and their miserly offering in the first session saw Lancashire reach just 61-2 by lunch.

Darren Stevens (2-35) and Miguel Cummins (2-61) both took two wickets while Fred Klaassen returned figures of 1-54 from 18 overs on his first outing of the summer.

Klaassen was one of two changes to the Kent team with Heino Kuhn also playing, injured duo Harry Podmore and Grant Stewart missing out.

Lancashire were without England bowler James Anderson, who had a calf injury.

That opening session saw Lancashire score just seven boundaries. Matt Milnes took the new ball and had Alex Davies caught behind for one in the fifth other while Stevens removed Keaton Jennings, who was brilliantly caught by Jack Leaning at third slip for 16.

Kent gained the upper hand with two quick wickets after lunch as debutant Luke Wells was caught behind off Cummins for a dogged 45 and Stevens trapped Steven Croft leg before for two to reduce them to 85-4.

It could have been even better but substitute fielder Nathan Gilchrist dropped Josh Bohannon on 21, rushing in from fine leg, after he top-edged Cummins.

Bohannon and captain Dane Vilas took the score to 187-4 shortly after tea when Kent took two wickets in the space of six overs for just three runs.

Klaassen's yorker removed Vilas lbw for 53 and Jack Leaning removed Rob Jones for two, luring him out of his ground and allowing Ollie Robinson to claim the first stumping of his red ball career.

However, just as it appeared Kent were going to get on top again, Bohannon and Luke Wood put on 58 for the seventh wicket before Cummins finally removed Bohannon for 87, another lbw victim.

Lancashire progressed to 260-7 by the close and Kent will look to wrap up the innings early on day two.

"It would have been nice to bowl them out," said Klaassen. "Especially in that first session, we bowled bowled pretty well to (only) get a couple of wickets.

"We felt we were in it the whole game. Seven’s a decent effort but hopefully we can finish them off early tomorrow morning. We bowled pretty tight the whole day, led by Stevo and Milnesy who bowled a lot of maidens.

“I feel we’re in a very good position, especially if we can come back tomorrow and take those three quick wickets and get out there and bat.

"Compared to the last game I think there’s a bit of carry and a bit of nip there, so you saw a few short balls used throughout the day, but the batters stuck in there and saw off the new ball, so I think it was pretty even.”

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