Kent bolstered by Jones defiance

COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP Division One, Canterbury, day one (close): Kent 241-7 v Lancashire A season's best unbeaten 80 from former England wicketkeeper Geraint Jones helped Kent to 241-7 after the opening day against Lancashire at Canterbury. Kent opted to bat but lost skipper Rob Key, run-out at the non-striker's when Joe Denly's drive was deflected into the stumps by bowler Sajid Mahmood. Denly and Neil Dexter made starts but Kent were 61-3 at lunch and soon 157-6. Jones reached fifty when he swept Gary Keedy for his seventh four, and hit 10 in total in a 151-ball innings. Key made a strangely stagnated seven from 33 balls before he fell to that most unfortunate of dismissals, well out of his ground when the ball crashed into the stumps. Denly was more fluent, but with the score on 48 he gave the exuberant Dominic Cork a wicket... [read full story]