Kent ke 374 ke jawab mein, Lancashire ne 265 runs ki lead li hai, par yeh pitch itni sust hai ki jeet ka sapna shayad hi poora ho.
Wells ne 152 runs banaye, 17 fours aur 3 sixes ke saath, jabki Bohannon ne 124 runs ki shandaar padi kheli. Turner, jo apna pehla first-class match Lancashire ke liye khel rahe the, ne 154 runs thoke, jisme 11 fours aur 6 sixes shamil the. Yeh teeno shatak Kent ke liye ek bura sapna the, jinhone apna bowling attack bilkul bebas dikha. Joey Evison ne 3-61 ke saath thodi izzat bachayi, lekin Matt Parkinson ke 3-188 aur Jaydn Denly ke do wickets ke bawajood Kent ke bowlers thak gaye.
| Batsman | Runs | Balls | Fours | Sixes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luke Wells | 152 | 256 | 17 | 3 |
| Josh Bohannon | 124 | 210 | 10 | 4 |
| Ashton Turner | 154 | 148 | 11 | 6 |
Yeh score yaad dilata hai 2021 ke uss match ka jab Lancashire ke Danny Lamb aur Luke Wood ne Kent ke khilaaf 187 runs ki record partnership banayi thi, jisse Kent ko follow-on ka khatra hua tha. Iss baar bhi, Lancashire ke batsmen ne Kent ko pressure mein daala, khas karke Wells aur Bohannon ke 136-run stand aur Turner ke saath 174-run partnership ne.
Ab baat thodi roshni ki. Turner ne kaha, “Yeh pitch batting ke liye achhi thi, par thodi spin bhi de rahi hai. Agar hum ache se bowl karein, jeet ka mauka hai.” Yeh baat dil ko chhooti hai. James Anderson, jo captain hain, ke paas ab mauka hai apne experience ka istemaal karke Kent ko chaar overs mein sametne ka. Yaad hai 2018 ka woh Test jab Anderson ne India ke khilaaf 5 wickets liye the? Agar woh waisa hi jadoo dikha sake, toh shayad Lancashire apni pehli red-ball jeet haasil kar le.
Lekin yahan ek chinta hai. Kent ke paas Ben Compton (135) aur Wes Agar (41) jaise fighters hain, jo pehle innings mein lad chuke hain. Agar yeh log waqt nikaal le, toh draw hi sabse bada nateeja hoga. Pitch ke sust hone ka matlab hai ki Anderson aur uske young bowlers ko kuch extra karna hoga. Kya yeh teeno shatak sirf ek kahani ban ke reh jayenge, ya Lancashire isse jeet mein badal payega? Yeh toh waqt hi batayega.
