Matt Parkinson clinches victory for Lancashire with career-best figures

The England leg-spinner endured a long, frustrating winter but bowled his county to a superb victory on the final afternoon at Canterbury

Canterbury: Kent 169 & 351, Lancashire 525 - Lancashire win by an innings and five runs

Scorecard

Lancashire moved top of Group Three after thrashing Kent by an innings and five runs in their LV= Insurance County Championship match at Canterbury.

Matt Parkinson helped spin the visitors to 22 points, claiming 7 for 126 as Kent were all out for 351 in their second innings, while Danny Lamb, who’d scored 125 on day two, claimed 2 for 57.

Daniel Bell-Drummond made 114, but the hosts lost three wickets in the morning session and collapsed from 305 for 4 after lunch, leaving them bottom of the table, having picked up just two bonus points.

With the St Lawrence under cloud for the first time this season and the ground buffeted by a north-easterly wind strong enough to blow over advertising hoardings, Kent began day four on 209 for one following on, still 147 in arrears.

Bell-Drummond added just six to his overnight score when he played on to Josh Bohannon and Parkinson then hit Kent with a gut punch, taking two wickets from successive balls. Zak Crawley was lbw for 36 to a full toss that landed on his toe and Jack Leaning was caught and bowled for a golden duck, lingering for several seconds before the umpires agreed the ball hadn’t bounced.

^{Earlier in the game, Luke Wood made his first hundred for Lancashire in a remarkable partnership with Danny Lamb}

Joe Denly and Heino Kuhn steered Kent to 280 for four at lunch, but just as the hosts began to harbour plausible hopes of at least forcing Lancashire to bat again, both were removed by Lamb. Kuhn was lbw for 32 in the 53rd over and in the 55th Denly’s middle stump was sent flying as he was bowled for 31. 

Darren Stevens went for a duck in the next over, caught by Rob Jones as he tried to drive Parkinson through extra cover and Matt Milnes was unable to recreate last week’s rearguard against Yorkshire, lasting 27 balls before he was lbw to Parkinson for 14, leaving Kent on 345 for eight at tea.

Fred Klaassen was on three when he steered a Lamb delivery into his stumps and although he was reprieved when the ball failed to dislodge the bails, Parkinson had him caught by Croft at silly point before he could add to his score.

Lancashire sealed the win when Parkinson drew an inside edge from Miguel Cummins and he was caught by Keaton Jennings at short leg.

Subscribe today and receive The Cricketer’s centenary issue – six issues for £19.21. Click here