Kent 1st innings: 269 for 7

POSTING large first-innings totals has not been Kent’s forte in recent seasons but yesterday’s determined approach to grind their way to 300 on the opening day against Lancashire never quite worked.

It was the county’s two Lord’s century-makers of last week Matthew Walker and Martin van Jaarsveld who scored the bulk of the runs and who batted the majority of the time in posting 90 in 40 overs.

Seemingly batting under instruction just to stay in, it was never pretty to watch and when wickets fell steadily after their stand it left their ploy to simply bat time looking rather silly as Kent closed on 269 for seven.

At the start of the day acting skipper Min Patel opted to take first use of an Old Trafford pitch that showed signs of turn within 90 minutes of the start and while the visitors lost both openers to left-arm spinner Gary Keedy, it was Walker and van Jaarsveld who re-grouped.

On a sunny yet chilly Manchester day Kent’s openers David Fulton and Neil Dexter, who was standing in for England A skipper Rob Key, cantered to 69 after a wayward opening stint from discarded England A seamer Sajid Mahmood - who is being tipped to play in next week's first Test against Sri Lanka.

But Keedy’s introduction at the Brian Statham End forced two blunders as Kent’s attempts to force the pace failed.

Fulton (40) danced down the pitch to drive only to miss a turning delivery and gift Luke Sutton a stumping, while Dexter (34) aimed a lofted straight drive only to catch a leading edge and scoop high to backward point.

That bought together Kent’s two in-form players in Walker and van Jaarsveld and they needed all their wits to see off two excellent spells from Lancashire rookie Tom Smith.

A strapping England Academy recruit, the 20-year-old bowls in a style not dissimilar to Tim Munton or Richard Ellison; nagging away on off stump, just short of a length with the occasional bouncing leg cutter thrown in.

He beat the outside edge on numerous occasions and, on another day, might have had both players out, yet as it was Kent’s third wicket pair rode their luck before Walker’s demise for 41.

Van Jaarseveld, who played the pull shot with aplomb whenever the host attack dropped short, hit seven fours in his two-hour half-century.

Left-handed Walker, the more subdued of the two, appeared content to see off the threat of Keedy.

He occasionally hit over the top with the spin as a low-risk attacking option but perished when after, 143 minutes at the crease, he followed a wide, spinning delivery in the penultimate over before tea to steer a catch to Stuart Law at slip and make it 187 for three.

Soon after tea Keedy, bowling left-arm around the wicket, bagged another on his way to figures of four for 71 by trapping Darren Stevens leg before for 10.

Playing right back to what appeared to be an arm-ball Stevens seemed surprised to be given out, suspecting perhaps that the ball may have gone on to miss his leg stump.

In his 19th over of the day Mahmood finally sealed his first success by fooling van Jaarsveld when 13 short of his century with a full, slower balls that the Kolpak signing worked across and missed to go leg before after a four-hour stay.

Geraint Jones, allowed a rare county run out by England coach Duncan Fletcher, batted freely for his 29 runs before perishing to his favoured shot, a back foot force that hit too high on the bat and flew into the hands of backward point fielder Paul Horton.

The second new ball then accounted for James Tredwell just before the close when he nicked a Kyle Hogg leg-cutter to be superbly caught one-handed by Mark Chilton at third slip for two.

With Patel and Tredwell in the side on a pitch that is already helping the spinners, Kent will be happy with their selection policy but only time will tell if their dogged batting policy was the right one.

SCORECARD

Kent won toss and elected to bat

Kent first innings:

D P Fulton st Sutton b Keedy 40
N J Dexter c Chapple b Keedy 34
M van Jaarsveld lbw b Mahmood 87
M J Walker c Law b Keedy 41
D I Stevens lbw b Keedy 10
G I Jones c Horton b Hogg 29
J M Kemp not out 16
J C Tredwell c Chilton b Hogg 2
M M Patel not out 3

Extras 7

Total 269 for seven after 104 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-69, 2-97, 3-187, 4-199, 5-237, 6-252, 7-258

Bowling: Mahmood 21-4-55-1, Chapple 18-6-68-0, Smith 20-5-59-0, Hogg 17-5-59-0, Keedy 28-5-71-4.

Bonus points: Lancashire 2, Kent 2.

* MARK PENNELL'S DAY TWO REPORT WILL APPEAR HERE AT THE CLOSE OF PLAY THIS EVENING.