KENT skipper Rob Key set Lancashire an improbable last day run-chase target of 430 from 82 overs after declaring his side's second innings at 419 for six in Canterbury.

The visitors will need to score at 5.24 an over and post a new record for their highest ever successful fourth innings run chase - currently set at 404 for five scored in Southampton in 1910 - if they are to deny Kent at least a draw.

The fourth and final day started with Key and Matt Walker at the crease where they extended their third wicket stand through to 288 in 84 overs - a Kent record for any wicket against Lancashire.

Their fun came to an end when Key, just 18 short of a maiden double century for the county, aimed a wide cover drive off Dominic Cork only to be superbly caught by keeper Luke Sutton stood up to the stumps.

The team captain had been batting 403 minutes, had faced 332 balls and scored 21 fours.

Well again after a bout of sickness on Wednesday, Joe Denly (5), became the first championship scalp for Steven Croft who pegged back the right-hander's off stump with an off-cutter that kept a touch low down the slope, but Walker went on to his 150 from 244 balls and with 16 fours and a brace of sixes.

He added 61 in seven overs of attractive shot-making with Neil Dexter (29 not out), but Walker too missed out on a double hundred when, on 157, he drove hard at a good-length ball from Oliver Newby and dragged it onto his leg stump.

The ovation for Walker had barely died down when Simon Cook walked across his stumps aiming to flick leg-side against Newby's next ball to go leg before.

Newby was denied the chance of a hat-trick as Key declared, leaving his bowling attack an hour and two sessions to have a tilt at bowling Lancashire out for a vital LV Championship win.

The visitors, despite a couple of scares, made it through to lunch without loss on 44 without loss.

Scorecard:

Kent first innings
J L Denly c Laxman b Chapple 19
R W T Key c Laxman b Newby 17
M van Jaarsveld lbw b Chapple 0
M J Walker c Law b Chapple 142
N J Dexter b Cork 42
G O Jones lbw b Muralitharan 7
J C Tredwell lbw b Muralitharan 19
R McLaren run out (Horton) 2
S J Cook lbw b Newby 38
M J Saggers b Newby 0
S L Malinga not out 1
Extras 40

Total 327 all out after 110 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-30, 2-30, 3-50, 4-173, 5-186, 6-231, 7-236, 8-324, 9-324.

Bowling: Chapple 22-5-63-3, Cork 20-8-36-1, Muralitharan 33.3-5-81-2, Newby 21-4-65-3, Mahmood 13.3-2-56-0.

Lancashire first innings
M J Chilton c Dexter b Tredwell 53
P J Horton c Sub (Lee) b Saggers 37
S J Croft lbw b Cook 29
S G Law b Tredwell 66
V V S Laxman c Tredwell b Saggers 10
L D Sutton c Jones b Saggers 12
G Chapple b Saggers 88
D G Cork st Jones b Tredwell 5
O J Newby not out 1
Extras 15

Total 317 all out (nine wickets down) after 96.4 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-85, 2-127, 3-135, 4-161, 5-179, 6-297, 7-315, 8-316, 9-317.

Bowling: Saggers 25.4-12-43-5, Malinga 9-1-41-0, Tredwell 36-6-146-3, Cook 19-9-43-1, Dexter 7-0-29-0.

Kent second innings
R W T Key c Sutton b Cork 182
J C Tredwell lbw b Chapple 3
M van Jaarsveld c Horton b Cork 28
M J Walker b Newby 157
J L Denly b Croft 5
N J Dexter not out 29
S J Cook lbw b Newby 0
Extras 15

Total 419 for six declared after 112.4 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-15, 2-65, 3-353, 4-358, 5-419, 6-419.

Bowling: Chapple 19-1-50-1, Cork 32-4-107-2, Newby 15.4-1-74-2, Mahmood 17-1-69-0, Law 4-0-21-0, Croft 18-2-64-1, Laxman 5-1-15-0, Chilton 2-0-8-0.

Lancashire second innings
M J Chilton not out 14
P J Horton not out 24
Extras 6

Total 44 without loss after 16 overs

Bowling: Saggers 8-3-19-0, Malinga 5-0-23-0, Tredwell 3-2-1-0.

Bonus points: Kent 6pts, Lancashire 6pts.