LANCASHIRE's hopes of finishing second in the Frizzell County Championship took a hammering in Canterbury yesterday.

Impressive recent form has taken Warren Hegg's team out of the relegation zone and into a three-cornered battle with Kent and Warwickshire for the £50,000 runners-up cheque.

But the win they need to go above Kent already looks impossible after the home team piled up 286 for two on the first day.

David Fulton, who has taken over as captain from Matthew Fleming in Championship cricket this season, won an important toss and then batted all day for an unbeaten 136 - his third century of the season, and his second against Lancashire.

Fulton also reached three figures as Kent chased 360 to beat Lancashire in Liverpool in June.

He was helped then by three dropped chances, but there were no let-offs yesterday as Kent capitalised on a good batting pitch.

Peter Martin and Glen Chapple had respectable figures for Lancashire but Burnley bowler James Anderson was expensive the day after his call-up for the Adelaide Academy this winter.

Anderson went for more than five an over but things could have been different if a half chance had stuck in his first over of the day.

Robert Key, who was overlooked by the national selectors on Tuesday, slashed Anderson's first ball for four but turned the next uppishly off his legs - and through the hands of Alec Swann at short leg. Two more boundaries followed in the rest of the over, and Lancashire's chance had gone.

The persevering Chapple finally broke the opening stand on 148 when he bowled Key, for his 51st Championship wicket of the season. But Ed Smith then picked up where Key left off until he was stumped by Hegg off Gary Keedy late in the day - just before rain stopped play.

It was a brave effort from Hegg who took another painful knock on his dislocated finger. And with Anderson struck on the knee fielding in the outfield, it was a bad day all round for Lancashire.