CCD2: Lancashire toil at Kent as Tom Curran fires Surrey

Division Two leaders Lancashire endured a long day in the field on a day of Kent landmarks in Canterbury.

The home side batted for all but 10 overs on day two as they took their overnight 235-3 on to 570-8 declared before Lancashire closed on 25-0 in their first innings.

Kent captain Sam Northeast matched Rob Key's opening-day feat of reaching three figures, passing 1,000 Championship runs for the season on his way to 139.

Northeast and Darren Stevens shared 183 - Division Two's highest sixth-wicket stand for the season - and while Stevens fell eight short of a century, he did go past 13,000 career first-class runs before falling to Simon Kerrigan.

Lancashire were restricted to a bowling point, while down at The Oval their nearest title challengers Surrey were collecting all three against Derbyshire.

Tom Curran was largely responsible for that as he took four of Derbyshire's five remaining wickets to finish with 5-71 and help dismiss the visitors - 209-5 overnight - for 313.

Among his scalps was Chesney Hughes, who fell four short of a hundred before Surrey made it to stumps on 227-5.

Rory Burns held their first-innings reply together after Arun Harinath and Kumar Sangakkara both fell cheaply, sharing 83 with Ben Foakes and hitting 15 boundaries before falling to Wes Durston on 92.

Durston and Tony Palladino each took two wickets, but an unbeaten half-century stand between Gary Davies and Zafar Ansari saw Surrey to the close.

Elsewhere Leicestershire had a fruitful day with the bat as their tail wagged against Gloucestershire at Grace Road.

The home side added 50 to their overnight 127-2 before Dan Redfern's dismissal - one short of a half-century - precipitated the loss of four wickets in 24 runs.

That left Aadil Ali and the tail to mount an estimable salvage job as the 20-year-old reached a career-best 80 and shared half-century stands with Wayne White, Clint McKay and Ben Raine (51), who was last out with Leicestershire on 415. Gloucestershire reached stumps on 22-0.

In Division Two's other game Essex secured four batting points from an unlikely position as they scored 360 against Northamptonshire, who closed in reply on 143-3.

The home side resumed on 177-6 at Chelmsford and were indebted to Mark Pettini (68), Aron Nijjar (53) and, in particular, James Foster for their decent total.

Captain Foster was two short of a 22nd first-class hundred when he was eighth man out, while Azharullah finished with 4-74.

Alex Wakely and Rob Keogh put on 57 for the third wicket for Northants, and the latter was still there at the close, unbeaten on 37.