MATCH PREVIEW: Lancashire vs Kent

MATCH PREVIEW: Lancashire vs Kent

Lancashire are aiming to recover from defeat against one South Eastern county with victory over another this weekend.

The Red Rose players will be desperate to get back on the horse following the three-day, innings defeat against Essex at Chelmsford the weekend before last.

A week off followed to refresh minds and bodies, and now they return home to tackle a Kent side who were almost free of action in the latest round of Championship fixtures.

These two counties, the bottom two in the embryonic table at present, have an almost identical record in 2024; two draws and a defeat. Kent has 26 points and sits just two ahead of Dale Benkenstein, Keaton Jennings and company.

Opposition

Like Lancashire, Kent’s defeat also came in their last round of matches (April 19-22).

They were beaten by back-to-back county champions Surrey at the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence – by an innings and 37 runs.

Kent have a new captain this year in top order batter Daniel Bell-Drummond, him having taken over from Sam Billings, who is concentrating on white ball cricket. They continue to be coached by Matt Walker, with Simon Cook their director of cricket.

Kent narrowly avoided relegation last season, finishing eighth – a place above the relegation zone in Division One.

This season, added to the aforementioned Surrey defeat, they have drawn matches at home to Somerset and away to Essex.

Matthew Parkinson’s arrival from Lancashire was Kent’s marquee signing ahead of 2024, the leg-spinner joining on a long-term contract. Seamers George Garrett and Mikey Cohen, fringe picks at their previous counties, have also joined.

Australian seamer Wes Agar has played two out of the first three Championship matches as an overseas player – rested last time out against Surrey. He has returned to Canterbury for a second spell following one last season and will be available for four months.

South African all-rounder Beyers Swanepoel, another overseas signing, could debut in this fixture.

England Test opener Zak Crawley has started the season with his home county.

Opposition player to watch

Zak Crawley returns to Emirates Old Trafford with happy memories of having hit a brilliant 189 against Australia in the rainy Ashes draw here last summer.

With the weather almost certain to intervene, England’s batters had to put their foot down to try and win the game in around three days.

And Crawley did just that, taking the Aussie attack apart.

Fingers crossed, he doesn’t do the same to Lancashire’s bowlers this week.

Crawley has only played one Championship match so far this season, the 26-year-old scoring 5 and 4 in the defeat against Surrey last time out.

He followed that 189 with a 158 for Kent against Northamptonshire in an end of season draw last September. That was the last of his 14 first-class hundreds to date.

Previous meeting

Lancashire and Kent drew the final game of last season, a high-scoring affair which saw a trio of totals well in excess of 300.

There were a trio of centuries scored in the match; Josh Bohannon and Luke Wells for Lancashire.

The Red Rose were bowled out for 327 on day one having elected to bat, with Bohannon’s 113 supplemented by middle order half-centuries for George Balderson (54) and Matthew Hurst (76 not out).

In reply, Joe Denly underpinned Derbyshire’s 494 all out through day three with 136. He was one of four wickets for Balderson.

Then it was openers Wells’ turn to ton up, his 117 backed up by 74 for Jennings – they shared 194 for the first wicket – Bohannon’s unbeaten 68 and 78 down the order for Tom Bailey. Lancashire were 390-8 declared when the players shook hands on a draw.

What they said

Keaton Jennings is confident Lancashire can put their defeat against Essex the week before last behind them quickly.

The Red Rose were beaten by an innings inside three days against early-season pacesetters Essex at Chelmsford last month before a week’s break from action gave the skipper and his troops time to reflect.

It clearly hasn’t been the start to the season Lancashire would have wanted, with two draws added to that defeat. They may sit bottom of the table after three matches. But there is absolutely no reason to panic, insists Jennings.

He said: “It’s a really long season, there’s loads of cricket to play, we’ve 11 games to go, and you win two or three and suddenly these conversations are completely different.

“You do have to keep some perspective.

“We have some young pups, and consistency won’t be there as often. But that’s the joy of it.

“We have guys at completely different ends of their careers.

“The one big thing we’ve had is a feedback cycle, and we’ve had some really tough, open conversations, and that doesn’t change if we win or lose.

“We want to do better as a team, as a squad, and we’ll sit down and do that together.

“Every week is how you respond. It’s just a case of a bit of perspective – we weren’t good at Essex, we’ll address the issues and come again.”

How’s State!

Lancashire have not lost a home Championship match against Kent since 2002, when they were beaten by six wickets at Liverpool. The Red Rose have not lost a Championship match against Kent at Emirates Old Trafford since 1997 (58-run defeat).

Since the last home loss in 2002, Lancashire have beaten Kent five times on home soil (one at Liverpool, four times at EOT). They have also drawn five times against them at home.

Either home or away, Lancashire have not been beaten by Kent in the County Championship since 2013.