Khaled Ahmed claims five as Kent teammate praises his impact

Bangladesh pacer Khaled Ahmed made the most of his chance at Kent, claiming his first five-wicket haul for the English county as he helped dismantle Lancashire in the County Championship.

With fellow Bangladesh seamer Hasan Mahmud away on national duty, Khaled stepped into Kent’s pace attack and delivered a standout spell on the opening day.

He broke Lancashire’s 81-run opening stand by removing Keaton Jennings before dismissing Rocky Flintoff. Khaled then accounted for Matt Hurst, who made 37, before completing his five-wicket haul with successive deliveries to remove Mitchell Stanley and Lancashire captain James Anderson.

Khaled finished with 5-42 from 15.5 overs, including four maidens, as Lancashire’s first innings came under pressure. It was his 10th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket but his first for Kent in county cricket.

He followed in the footsteps of Hasan, who had earlier claimed a five-for for Kent before returning home for national-team commitments. Khaled was brought into the XI in his absence and immediately made an impact.

Kent seamer Matt Milnes, who also took four wickets, praised Khaled’s response to the added responsibility.

“Losing Hasan was a big blow for us because he is a high-quality bowler,” Milnes said. “It was a big challenge for Khaled to come in and take on that responsibility, but he did exactly that today.”

Milnes added: “I thought he bowled really, really well.”