MIKE Smethurst and Peter Martin staged a late rescue act to wipe the egg off the faces of Lancashire's batsmen -- not for the first time this season.

Lancashire could only manage 236 batting first on a good pitch in their Championship match against Kent.

But Smethurst and Martin each took two wickets in the space of three overs to reduce the visitors to 14-4.

Martin, playing his first Championship game for over two months, picked up where he left off in May by trapping Rob Key lbw and having David Fulton coolly caught at second slip by Andy Flintoff.

And Smethurst justified his selection ahead of Glen Chapple by firing out Indian dangerman Rahul Dravid and Cambridge graduate Ed Smith with consecutive balls.

It was a superb effort by the pace pair after yet another disappointing batting performance.

Maybe it was the surprise of John Crawley winning the toss for only the second time in 13 Championship matches this season, although Lancashire started well to reach 94-1.

Then they lost three quick wickets before lunch, with Flintoff edging Martin Saggers to slip, Sourav Ganguly caught and bowled for a duck and Crawley snapped up a silly point after a patient 42.

It was a similar story in the afternoon session with Neil Fairbrother grafting to 48 before missing out on his first half century for 12 innings in another flurry of wickets just before the break.

Many of Lancashire's problems were self-inflicted with Mark Chilton and Joe Scuderi both hitting long hops straight to fielders, although Saggers bowled well to claim 4-54.

And Chris Schofield looked furious when he was out immediately after complaining about the glare of the sun off the roof of the new media centre -- a problem which was supposed to have been sorted out last season.

Lancashire's second team lost to Durham yesterday despite a battling half century from wicket keeper Jamie Haynes. LANCASHIRE

M Chilton c Smith b Masters ... 23

J Crawley c Key b Patel ... 42

A Flintoff c Fulton b Saggers ... 29

S Ganguly c and b Patel ... 0

N Fairbrother c Fulton b Saggers ... 48

J Scuderi c Masters b McCague ... 23

W Hegg lbw Saggers ... 22

C Schofield c Fulton b McCague ... 16

P Martin c Wells b Saggers ... 0

G Keedy not out ... 17

M Smethurst c and b Patel ... 5

Extras ... 11

Total (all out) ... 236

Bowling: Saggers 22-6-54-4; McCague 14-3-40-2; Masters 15-1-60-1; Patel 32.3-9-72-3; Dravid 4-1-9-0

KENT

D Fulton c Flintoff b Martin ... 2

R Key lbw Martin ... 6

R Dravid lbw Smethurst ... 0

M Walker not out ... 28

A Wells not out ... 45

Extras ... 7

Total (4 wkts) ... 89

Overnight bowling: Martin 7-2-22-2; Smethurst 6-1-12-2; Keedy 1-0-1-0