Relegated in the NatWest Pro40 on an equally difficult pitch last Sunday, Lancashire, who were second in the table in mid-July, face demotion in the championship. Put in to bat, they thanked extras for a top score of 32 in a total of 107, then found themselves taken apart by Geraint Jones.

It was their lowest score in the competition in 51 games since September 2005 but their fifth below 156 this season. Without Andrew Flintoff, James Anderson and the injured Sajid Mahmood, they proved powerless, however, to halt an intelligent, calculated assault from Jones, who, cleverly promoted to No 3, carved, pulled and drove his way to 91 from 88 balls, surviving difficult chances on 17, 67 and 82. He even raced to the mobile conveniences amid the crowd to take a “comfort break” at the fall of Kent’s fourth wicket.

To say the least, Lancashire were compromised by a pitch that started damp. It is a common misconception that, if swing does damage, the pitch must be blameless. But moisture creates turbulence and encourages movement through the air, and, after overnight drizzle, Kent’s quartet of overseas-raised fast bowlers wreaked havoc.

A pitch panel will not be convened today, although Chris Broad, the ECB’s inspector, will return to monitor events. After the surfaces that have passed scrutiny this season it would, indeed, have been a travesty to punish this one, which will probably improve markedly. But, given its cost, the whole system of assessment has begun to look badly flawed.

So, too, was the home side’s technique. Stuart Law and François du Plessis were the only batsmen to reach double figures until the admirable Steven Croft, last out, fought to a staunch 30. Both Law and Du Plessis were undone by full and late inswing from Amjad Khan, whose three victims in his first 34 balls as second change were each bowled, off stump.

Such has been Lancashire’s recent acquaintance with rain that they had last batted in the championship on August 23. With four men out for ducks, including Karl Brown in his maiden innings at this level, they must have longed for another day’s reprieve. As it was, although Glen Chapple struck with the fifth ball of the reply, this only brought in Jones.

With Joe Denly indisposed by a migraine, James Tredwell opened but soon fell to the inswing of Chapple. Jones watched Robert Key and Martin van Jaarsveld fall in similar vein — both, like Tredwell, out for four — before Darren Stevens supported him through 18 overs. Jones, leg-before trying to work the ball to the on side, was out ten minutes from the close.

Scoreboard

Lancashire: First Innings
P J Horton c Jones b Joseph 9
M J Chilton lbw b Joseph 9
K R Brown c Kemp b Arafat 0
*S G Law b Khan 11
F du Plessis b Khan 12
S J Croft c Jones b Arafat 30
†L D Sutton lbw b McLaren 0
G Chapple b Khan 0
T C Smith c Jones b McLaren 0
G Keedy b Joseph 4
O J Newby not out 0
Extras (b 6, lb 8, w 6, nb 12) 32
Total (39 overs) 107

Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-22, 3-22, 4-49, 5-63, 6-65, 7-66, 8-67, 9-103.

Bowling: Arafat 10-4-32-2; Joseph 9-1-37-3; McLaren 10-6-13-2; Khan 9-2-10-3; Stevens 1-0-1-0.

Kent: First Innings
J C Tredwell lbw b Chapple 4
*R W T Key lbw b Newby 4
†G O Jones lbw b Newby 91
M van Jaarsveld lbw b Chapple 4
D I Stevens b Newby 30
J M Kemp not out 3
R H Joseph not out 1
Extras (lb 2, nb 8) 10
Total (5 wkts, 34 overs) 147

J L Denly, R McLaren, Yasir Arafat and A Khan to bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-30, 3-55, 4-133, 5-146.

Bowling: Chapple 10-4-43-2; Newby 12-1-50-3; Smith 7-2-38-0; Croft 5-2-14-0.

Umpires: J H Evans and J W Holder.