Rothesay County Championship, Division Two, St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury (day three)

Lancashire 161: Ahmed 5-42, Milnes 4-28 & 192: Harris 48; Dudgeon 3-51

Kent 214: Crawley 84; Stanley 4-61 & 142-3: Northeast 48*

Kent (19 pts) beat Lancashire (3 pts) by seven wickets

Match scorecard

Kent remain firmly in the County Championship Division Two promotion race after they beat Lancashire by seven wickets at Canterbury.

Needing just 56 to win at the start of play, having resumed on 84-2, they coasted home after just 18.3 overs on day three, finishing on 142-3.

Tom Bailey had Tawanda Muyuye lbw for 43, but Sam Northeast finished on 48 not out, while Daniel Bell-Drummond hit the winning runs, to finish unbeaten on 19.

Kent were 84-2 when play began at midday, chasing 140 to win, after a 90-minute delay due to rain.

Although Muyeye hit James Anderson’s first ball of the day through cover for four, Lancashire did not make it easy for the home side.

Muyeye was out to Bailey in the fourth over of the session, but with so few runs to defend they stood little realistic chance.

The biggest round of applause of the day came when it was announced the scheduled lunch interval would be delayed until there was a result and during the extension Bell-Drummond cracked Balderson for four to seal the victory.

ECB Reporters’ Network supported by Rothesay.