2021 County Championship – Kent vs Lancashire Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is Kent vs Lancashire taking place? Thursday 22nd April, 2021 – 11:00 (UK)
Where is Kent vs Lancashire taking place? The Spitfire Ground, Canterbury
What is the expected weather for Kent vs Lancashire? Sunny and warm
Where can I get tickets for Kent vs Lancashire? The County Championship will initially be played without spectators but it is worth checking each county’s official website for updates
What channel is Kent vs Lancashire on? This match will not be televised live in the UK
Where can I stream Kent vs Lancashire? Matches can be streamed live on the official websites of the First-Class Counties
THE PREDICTION
Kent’s frustrating start to the campaign continued with a 200-run defeat at home to Yorkshire. That defeat followed a high-scoring draw against Northamptonshire the previous week. It is almost a cliche to mention Darren Stevens when discussing Kent but his form is truly astonishing. Into his fourth decade as a county player and at the age of 44, he has a century, half-century and a score of 47 in his three innings whilst taking six wickets in three innings. Daniel Bell-Drummond and Zak Crawley’s early season form will have to improve if Kent are to start scoring big runs at an already low-scoring venue in Canterbury.
Lancashire enjoyed a 206-run victory over Northamptonshire last week as they continued an impressive start in terms of performance. A draw in their opening match against Sussex will be put down to weather as the Red Rose were in a decent position before snow and rain interruptions on both days three and four. The balanced bowling attack of the clever Tom Bailey, quick Saqib Mahmood and left-arm aggression of Luke Wood along with the mastery of Matthew Parkinson’s spin means they will always be in matches - especially low-scoring contests. They could welcome James Anderson back into the XI for this week’s fixture and he could come in for Tom Hartley so a four-man seam attack with Parkinson and part-time spinners in Croft and Jones could cause anybody issues. Steven Croft’s impressive second-innings century has continued his resurgence in form over the last couple of years.
Given the form of both sides and the fact Lancashire could benefit from a low-scoring match in Canterbury, the away team will come into this as slight favourites.
