COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION ONE, Canterbury:
Lancashire 266 & 321 beat Kent 249 & 217 by 121 runs
Lancs 21pts, Kent 4pts
Match scorecard

Keedy has taken 22 wickets in just three first-class games this summer

Lancashire completed a 121-run win over Kent nine balls after lunch on the final afternoon at Canterbury to keep alive their title aspirations.

Resuming on 84-2, needing 255 more to win, Kent were never in the hunt as Tom Smith (3-44) and Glen Chapple (3-39) both struck twice to leave them 100-6.

Matt Coles (51) and James Tredwell (36) offered some resistance but both fell to the spin of Gary Keedy (4-53).

And Keedy took the final wicket of Simon Cook as Kent were 217 all out.

It was only Lancashire's second victory at Canterbury since 1936 and saw them climb above Durham into fourth place in the table, 31 points behind leaders Nottinghamshire - who they have to play twice in their final four fixtures, firstly at Trent Bridge starting on Tuesday.

The damage was done by Smith and Chapple in a 27-ball spell that saw Kent lose four wickets for three runs.

Chapple struck first, enticing Van Jaarsveld to edge to Paul Horton at slip before Smith trapped Northeast leg before and saw Geraint Jones feather a sharply lifting delivery behind to Luke Sutton.

Darren Stevens soon followed, edging a Chapple leg-cutter behind to Sutton, with Smith then getting Alex Blake to play on.

Kent did save face thanks to a stand of 72 between Tredwell and Coles, who went to his maiden half-century for the county in 41 balls.

But Keedy removed them both, seeing Coles slog sweep him to Saj Mahmood at mid-wicket before having Tredwell stumped in the over before lunch.

And he sealed victory with his third ball after the interval when Cook swept him into the hands of deep mid-wicket.

Kent climb above Hampshire to fourth from bottom but remain deep in relegation trouble, only six points above second-from-bottom Essex but with a game in hand.

BBC Sport's Scott Read reflects on Lancashire's victory over Kent:
"Under cloudy skies and, yes, ideal bowling conditions, Lancashire, it must be said, were simply brilliant this morning, ripping through the Kent line-up and taking eight wickets to keep their title hopes alive.

"In the knowledge that the top three all won, Lancashire knew a victory here was a must to maintain their Championship challenge and in a game which had been nip and tuck throughout they did it with relative ease.

"Shivnerine Chanderpaul hit a brilliant century in the second innings and then Tom Smith and Glen Chapple set the tempo on the morning of day four.

"Once again the Lancashire captain led by example and he's now only two wickets away from 50 for the season."

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