Kent were given little reason to miss Hasan Mahmud as Khaled Ahmed produced a superb five-wicket haul against Lancashire in the County Championship in Canterbury.
The Bangladesh seamer led Kent’s bowling attack with 5 for 42 from 15.5 overs, helping dismiss Lancashire for just 161 on the opening day of their Division Two clash.
Lancashire had made a confident start, reaching 81 without losing a wicket. But Khaled changed the complexion of the innings with a series of timely breakthroughs, exposing the visitors’ middle and lower order.
Keaton Jennings was his first major scalp, the opener departing for 30. Khaled then added Rocky Flintoff, Matty Hurst, Mitchell Stanley and James Anderson to complete his five-wicket haul.
Michael Jones top-scored for Lancashire with 44, while Hurst made 37. Jennings also looked settled before Kent finally broke through. From 81 without loss, however, Lancashire lost their final eight wickets for only 80 runs.
Khaled found an excellent partner at the other end in Matt Milnes, who finished with 4 for 28. Between them, the pair claimed nine of Lancashire’s 10 wickets as Kent wrapped up the innings in 58.5 overs.
The performance was particularly valuable for Kent with Hasan Mahmud unavailable. Khaled not only filled the gap left by his fellow Bangladesh paceman but became the chief reason Lancashire were unable to build on their strong start.
For Khaled, the five-for also provided another reminder of his ability to make an impact in English conditions, where movement and discipline can be crucial to success with the red ball.
Lancashire’s collapse left Kent in a commanding position after the visitors had appeared comfortable early in the day. Much of that turnaround came from Khaled, whose spell transformed an innings that had promised considerably more for Lancashire.
