Liam Livingstone marks return with five-wicket haul as Kent crumble

Lancashire 17 for 2 (Dudgeon 2-5) trail Kent 178 (Dawkins 54, Livingstone 5-55) by 161 runs

Liam Livingstone marked his first County Championship appearance for nearly five years by taking 5 for 55 to ensure Lancashire had the best of the opening day of their Rothesay County Championship against Kent.

Fresh from his 85 not out in Tuesday's Blast victory against Durham, Livingstone took the last five wickets for 20 runs in 46 balls with a mixture of off-. legspin as the visitors lost their last eight wickets for 67 runs, collapsing from 111 for 2 at tea to 178 not out.

Opener Ben Dawkins had earlier made 54 for Kent, who struck back when Keith Dudgeon bowled Harry Singh for nought. And Lancashire suffered another blow ten balls before the close when Keaton Jennings was leg-before to Dudgeon for 13. the home side finished the day on 17 for 2.

Morning rain delayed the start of play at Stanley Park until 1.10pm. Lancashire's decision to bowl after a damp morning was initially justified in the fourth over when Harry Finch drove James Anderson to Jennings in the gully and departed for 2.

The home side maintained their dominance throughout a first hour in which only 23 runs were scored in 14 overs. they made their next breakthrough immediately afterwards when Sam Northeast was bowled for 10 when he played inside a ball from George Balderson.

But having scored only three runs in that cautious first hour. Dawkins seized upon every opportunity to get the scoreboard moving, for example when pulling a Livingstone long hop for six. The opener reached his fifty off 114 balls just before tea, by which interval Kent were 111 for 2, with Dawkins on 54. Daniel Bell-Drummond on 33.

That secure progress in the hour before the break contrasted sharply with the visitors' disintegration immediately play resumed. Three wickets were lost in three balls without addition to the score. Bell-Drummond edged Anderson's last ball of the first over after tea to Lancashire's 17-year-old wicketkeeper, Joe Moores, who was making his first-class debut, Dawkins was lbw to Bailey. Chris Benjamin was bowled to leave Kent on 111 for 5.

Bowling from the North End, Livingstone accelerated Kent's slide. He had Bertie Foreman caught at point by Bailey for 6, Ekansh Singh snaffled at backward short leg by Josh Bohannon for 17 when sweeping,. Dudgeon, stumped down the leg side by Moores for 3.

Kent's last two batters were both caught in the deep. Matt Milnes holed out for 22 at long-on, where Bailey took the catch,. Tom Aspinwall caught the ex-Lancashire cricketer Matt Parkinson at deep midwicket for 11. Anderson finished the innings with 2 for 13 from 12 overs and Bailey with 2 for 23 from 13.