KENT pair Joe Denly and Geraint Jones did their best to repel a Lancashire side searching for only their second LV County Championship Division One of the season at Old Trafford.

Denly, the 21-year-old Canterbury born right-hander, hit a steadfast 75 before Jones hit a similarly determined 70 as Kent replied to Lancashire's 451 for five declared on day three.

But unfortunately they could not find anybody else to stick around with them under a barrage of short pitched bowling from James Anderson and Dominic Cork and a torrent of spin from Muttiah Muralitharan.

Anderson picked up three wickets for 64, while Cork got two to add to four from Muralitharan and one from Gary Keedy as Kent closed day three following on with seven without loss in their second innings - a deficit of 172 runs after being bowled out for 272 in their first.

A further 26 overs were lost at the start of day three, even though eight balls were actually bowled at the usual start time of 11am.

And when the rain finally relented just before lunch Denly dug in to bat through plenty of physical and verbal blows from Lancashire's new ball pair.

It was a concerted plan from the Red Rose duo to unsettle the former England Under-19 player - but the amount of chat was a little unnecessary.

It seemed to spur Denly on until he was undone by a surprise Cork full ball which rocked his off-stump.

Denly had shared an opening partnership of 83 with his captain Robert Key (28) before he was trapped leg before wicket by Burnley's Anderson.

England's summer stand-by bowler then bowled Martin van Jaarsveld for seven to leave the score 105 for two.

Cork then chipped in with his brace of victims - Denly included - but was forced off the park with a suspected groin strain after yorking Geraint Jones with the very next ball.

It did not seem to affect Lancashire though as Muralitharan then came into his own to spin Kent into trouble with four for 73 from 34 overs on the bounce.

The Sri Lankan is playing his last game before a month away playing Test cricket against Bangladesh - and he will hope to give his county the perfect send-off by bowling Kent out again today.