MATTHEW WALKER became the first Kent batsman in history to score a century in each innings of a championship match against Lancashire as the hosts batted themselves into an almost unbeatable position on day three of this game in Canterbury.

With one eye on the LV Championship first division drop zone, Kent started the day wanting to make the game safe and ended it in a superior position at 334 for two and an overall lead of 344.

Key, on passing 52, reached 1,000 runs for the season and was 170 not out by the close, while Walker followed his first innings 142 with an unbeaten 120 for his part in a third wicket stand worth 269.

It was imperious batting at its best, true enough Lancashire were without their injured master spinner Muthiah Muralitharan, but that should not distract from this excellent Kent display.

The day started with Lancashire batting and in search of a first innings lead, but the hosts duly polished them off inside nine balls to secure a narrow lead of 10.

It was Martin Saggers who gave Kent the breakthrough they yearned with his fourth ball of the day, an out-swinger from the Pavilion End that ‘red rose’ No.9 Sajid Mahmood nicked low to James Tredwell at first slip.

It gave Saggers excellent figures of five for 43 – his first five-wicket championship haul for Kent since August, 2003 against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.

Kent’s usual opener Joe Denly, was incapacitated throughout day two with a stomach virus and therefore unable to bat until the fall of the fifth wicket, so Tredwell stood in to open the innings with his Key.

They had posted 15 when Tredwell (3) played across the line of a Glen Chapple off-cutter to go leg before.

Key and van Jaarsveld, who was dropped at second slip by Stuart Law off his first ball to avoid a third successive golden duck, then posted 50 for the second wicket before van Jaarsveld tossed away his won wicket.

Leaning back to cut a Dominic Cook long-hop, he picked out Paul Horton at deep cover to trudge off eight overs from the interval.

First innings century-maker Walker then teamed up with Key to bat the remaining 79 overs of the day to push their side into a position of control in this game.

Walker had hit 12 fours and a six by the time stumps were drawn and Key had hit 19 boundaries as the pair neared Kent’s record third wicket stand against Lancashire.

Undoubtedly, Kent will want to continue well into day four in order to bat Lancashire well out of the game, but a mid-afternoon declaration on a turning pitch may give them sufficient overs to pull off a spectacular and much needed Division 1 win.

Scorecard:

Kent first innings
J L Denly c Laxman b Chapple 19
R W T Key c Laxman b Newby 17
M van Jaarsveld lbw b Chapple 0
M J Walker c Law b Chapple 142
N J Dexter b Cork 42
G O Jones lbw b Muralitharan 7
J C Tredwell lbw b Muralitharan 19
R McLaren run out (Horton) 2
S J Cook lbw b Newby 38
M J Saggers b Newby 0
S L Malinga not out 1
Extras 40

Total 327 all out after 110 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-30, 2-30, 3-50, 4-173, 5-186, 6-231, 7-236, 8-324, 9-324.

Bowling: Chapple 22-5-63-3, Cork 20-8-36-1, Muralitharan 33.3-5-81-2, Newby 21-4-65-3, Mahmood 13.3-2-56-0.

Lancashire first innings
M J Chilton c Dexter b Tredwell 53
P J Horton c Sub (Lee) b Saggers 37
S J Croft lbw b Cook 29
S G Law b Tredwell 66
V V S Laxman c Tredwell b Saggers 10
L D Sutton c Jones b Saggers 12
G Chapple b Saggers 88
D G Cork st Jones b Tredwell 5
O J Newby not out 1
Extras 15

Total 317 all out (nine wickets down) after 96.4 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-85, 2-127, 3-135, 4-161, 5-179, 6-297, 7-315, 8-316, 9-317.

Bowling: Saggers 25.4-12-43-5, Malinga 9-1-41-0, Tredwell 36-6-146-3, Cook 19-9-43-1, Dexter 7-0-29-0.

Kent second innings
R W T Key not out 170
J C Tredwell lbw b Chapple 3
M van Jaarsveld c Horton b Cork 28
M J Walker not out 120
Extras 13

Total 334 for two after 101 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-15, 2-65.

Bowling: Chapple 19-1-50-1, Cork 27-4-72-1, Newby 15-1-73-0, Mahmood 16-1-55-0, Law 4-0-21-0, Croft 13-2-30-0, Laxman 5-1-15-0, Chilton 2-0-8-0.

Bonus points: Kent 6pts, Lancashire 6pts.