Centuries from Dane Vilas and Steven Croft took Lancashire to 344 for four on day one of their LV= Insurance County Championship match with Kent at Canterbury.
Vilas hit a buccaneering 124 from 158 balls and made a stand of 215 with Steven Croft, who himself produced a more measured 113 not out from 270 deliveries, leaving the visitors in a commanding position at stumps.
Nathan Gilchrist took two for 66 and Matt Milnes two for 68, but after a promising start the hosts struggled throughout the final two sessions, frustrating the majority of a crowd of 1003 at the St. Lawrence.
Lancashire won the toss and chose to bat in broad sunshine, but the light quickly deteriorated and after an opening stand of 36 the breakthrough came when Gilchrist replaced Jackson Bird at the Pavilion End. His second ball found George Balderson’s edge, but it was dropped by a fumbling Zak Crawley at second slip, who failed to grab it three times before parrying it to Jordan Cox at first slip. Although Cox somehow spilled the rebound, it was the shortest possible reprieve for Balderson, who was caught behind off the next ball for seven.
Luke Wells had looked fluent early on but he then fell for 39, toe-ending Gilchrist to Ollie Robinson. When Milnes subsequently trapped Josh Bohannon lbw for 19 Lancashire were wobbling on 80 for 3, but if Kent had arguably shaded the first session, the visitors dominated the second, adding 149 runs and barely offering a chance.
Vilas cut Hamid Qadri to square leg to bring up his fifty in the 46th over and Croft reached the same landmark three overs later when he hit Darren Stevens through the covers for four.
Having reached 229 for 3 at tea, Lancashire continued to pile on the runs, Vilas reaching his 100 when he glanced Qadri past the slips for four, before he was eventually removed by the new ball when he slashed Milnes to Ben Compton at gully.
Milnes gave a roar of delight, relief and quite possibly both, but it was a rare moment of joy for Kent, who also lost Qadri to a hand injury during the evening session.
Croft reached three figures when glanced Bird off his hip for four and remained unbeaten at the close alongside Lancashire debutant Phil Salt, who was unbeaten on 33 after an aggressive cameo late in the day.
Lancashire’s Steven Croft said: “On a personal note it’s very pleasing to get out there and score runs, and more importantly put on a great partnership and see us in a very strong position going into day two. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s what you prep up for all winter really. I almost felt a bit anxious last week having missed that first round, you wanted to get out there, but I got the call to play this week which I was chuffed about. More importantly to put us in that position at the end of day one and have a great partnership with Dane is a thrill really.
“I made a few little tweaks in the winter nothing too noticeable and I felt quite comfortable, it’s quite an easy paced wicket. Dane, his usual self, kept it ticking and I was more patient. I must have finally matured! Yeah, it’s up there (with my other best innings). In the winter we spoke about whether I might play or I might not with the crop of youngsters we’ve got coming through, I’d have to be hitting the ball well. I’m just grateful to be out there and get it (the century) in the first game of the year to calm a few nerves.”
Kent’s Nathan Gilchrist said: “In the first session there was a bit there for us, but from then on when the sun came out it just baked it a little and it was pretty tough work for the rest of the day. We stuck to our guns quite well, but it’s quite an easy-scoring wicket I think.
“With the new ball early on it was doing enough, but after that it was quite a grind, they batted really well and it was tough work for us. To be honest I don’t think we’re going to do much differently tomorrow, it’s the sort of wicket where you’ve just got be patient and hit the top of off, so hopefully we’ll be able to do that.”