Kent’s Joey Evison played a valiant innings of 50 not out, but Lancashire dominated the opening day of their Vitality County Championship clash at Emirates Old Trafford.
Evison, aided by Grant Stewart’s 33, rescued Kent from a precarious 129 for six. The duo launched a counterattack against Lancashire’s Test spinners, Nathan Lyon and Tom Hartley, adding 69 for the seventh wicket.
However, Lancashire’s George Balderson had earlier claimed three wickets in 28 balls, including the dismissals of Ben Compton, Zak Crawley, and Daniel Bell-Drummond. Jack Leaning’s dismissal left Kent reeling at 76 for four at lunch.
After the break, Harry Finch fell cheaply to Will Williams, but Evison and Joe Denly steadied the ship with a 46-run partnership. Denly’s dismissal to Lyon brought Stewart to the crease, and the pair took the attack to the spinners.
Stewart’s six off Hartley brought up the 50-run stand, but his innings ended abruptly when he nicked a delivery to Luke Wells. Balderson finished with three for 62, while Lyon took two for 42. Williams, with two for 28, is one wicket away from his 200th in first-class cricket.
Despite Evison’s heroics, Lancashire holds the upper hand heading into day two.
