Lancashire rout Kent by an innings to boost hopes of revival

Lancashire have routed Kent by an innings and 83 runs in their Vitality County Championship showdown at Canterbury.

The visitors bowled Kent out for 222 in their second innings, Will Williams taking three for 26 and Tom Bailey three for 36. Charlie Stobo hit his highest first-class score of 64 but the hosts were all out after 30.2 overs on day four.

The result, against the only side who were below them in Division One before this round of fixtures, drastically increases Lancashire's chances of avoiding the drop, while Kent remain anchored to the foot of the table.

It was an outcome that had looked almost inevitable ever since Kent lost a cluster of wickets midway through day one. The hosts were a shadow of the side who won convincingly at Old Trafford earlier this season, with six of the players who pulled off what remains their only red ball win of the season injured or unavailable.

They resumed on 143 for six and with a deficit of 162 not many observers were expecting them to take the game deep into the fourth day. Beyers Swanepoel, batting with Tawanda Muyeye as his runner, was the first man to fall, cutting Bailey to Jack Blatherwick for 26 in the fourth over of the morning, but Stobo and Matt Parkinson responded with an obdurate stand that took out 18.3 overs.

The sparse crowd meant the on-field chatter was amplified, especially, it seemed, when George Balderson bowled. During one over Lancashire's fielders shouted: "Go on Baldie!" or variations thereof, a staggering 37 times, including 10 after a single delivery. No other bowler received this level of encouragement: Nathan Lyon's next over was greeted with near silence.

The partnership broke when Parkinson, who'd joked on Tuesday night that he planned to block for 96 overs, abandoned his previous discipline. He tried an ill-advised pull shot against Lyon and although that was spilled by Bailey at backward square leg, he was out to the next ball he faced.

Stobo brought up his second first-class fifty in the next over when he drove Luke Wells for four, but after taking a single Parkinson was left with the strike and Wells pinned him lbw for seven.

Wells then had George Garrett caught at first slip by Keaton Jennings at first slip for five and the victory was sealed when Williams used the new ball to send Stobo's off stump cartwheeling.