LIVERPOOL

(Day one of four, Kent won toss)

Lancashire 107 (39 overs, A Khan 3-10, RH Joseph 3-37, R McLaren 2-13); Kent 147-5 (34 overs, GO Jones 91)

Lunch

Rain has dogged every side in the Championship since late July but none has suffered more than Lancashire who were delayed once again by the effects of persistent overnight drizzle. Only 95 overs have been possible in the side's last two games at this level, and they have not managed to bat since 23 August.

The umpires inspected at 10.30 and announced that they would look again an hour later, but there was no chance of cricket before lunch. With the sun trying to break through, and a good forecast for the afternoon, the hope was that play would start after the interval.

Both sides are expected to make one change from their previous championship matches. Lancashire will replace Dominic Cork with Gary Keedy and Kent are to recall Justin Kemp after leaving out his fellow South African, Neil Dexter.

Kemp's dire first-class form saw him muster only 296 championship runs at 22.77 before he was dropped after eight championship matches but Dexter refused a three-year contract this week and is set to join Middlesex. Kent have declared him ineligible for selection.

Tea

That wickets would fall, after play eventually began at 1pm, was as predictable as Kent's instant decision to field. Indeed, extras contributed almost three times more than any individual batsman as eight departed in the extended, 145-minute first session.

With the ball moving through the air for Amjad Khan and off the seam for his colleagues, Ryan McLaren became the last of Kent's quartet of overseas pace bowlers to claim a scalp when Luke Sutton went leg-before for nought, leaving Lancashire 65 for six.

Next over, it was 66 for seven as Khan, the second change, gained a third success with full, late inswing (all bowled, off stump) for eight runs in his first 34 balls. And when, with five slips posted, McLaren made it four wickets in as many overs, Lancashire had declined from 63 for four to 67 for eight.

In truth, nobody had an answer. Karl Brown, in his maiden Championship innings, recorded the first of four ducks and only the two, fully-fledged foreigners, Stuart Law and Francois du Plessis, and the doughty Steven Croft managed double-figures. Du Plessis, with 12, mustered most. It remains to be seen what view Chris Broad, the pitch inspector, will take of this carnage.

Close

The Lancashire innings lasted five more overs after tea as the final two wickets fell to further swing, Croft, the last out, edging his drive at an outswinger and going for 30 to finish two runs short of equalling extras. Their total of 107 was Lancashire's lowest in 51 Championship matches since September, 2005, but their fifth this year below 156.

Swing was the key for Glen Chapple, too, when, with the fifth ball of the reply, he immediately hit back by pinning James Tredwell in front. Tredwell, out for four, had opened in the absence of Joe Denly, who failed to field earlier after suffering a migraine.

This only brought in Geraint Jones, however, cleverly promoted to No3 for a calculated, bravura assault which, with the benefit of three difficult, squandered chances on 17, 67 and 82, saw him race to 91 from 88 balls until leg-before, ten minutes from the close.

Jones saw Rob Key and Martin van Jaarveld fall to inswing at the other end but, from 55 for three, he was supported for 18 overs by Darren Stevens. If his violent innings can set up a three-figure first-innings lead, Kent, who play Durham in their final match next week, will have every chance of a fifth victory to keep their title hopes alive.