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Kent beat Lancashire to boost promotion hopes

Kent bolstered their Division Two promotion ambitions by wrapping up a seven-wicket victory over Lancashire on the third day at Canterbury. After wet weather postponed the start of play by an hour and a half, the hosts recommenced on 84-2 with a modest target of 140.

3 overs. Bell-Drummond secured the win, and an extra 19 championship points, by driving George Balderson to the fence during an extended morning session.

The foundation for Kent's triumph was set earlier in the fixture, starting with Lancashire being skittled for 161 as Arafat Ahmed took 5-42 and Matt Milnes claimed 4-28. Kent countered with 214 courtesy of Zak Crawley's 84, despite Mitchell Stanley collecting 4-61.

Lancashire then mustered 192 in their second innings, underpinned by Marcus Harris's 48 against Michael Dudgeon's 3-51, leaving the visitors with merely three points from the encounter.