Bolton’s Josh Bohannon hit a superb double hundred as Lancashire routed Kent by an innings and 83 runs in their County Championship Division One showdown at Canterbury today.

The Red Rose first dismissed their hosts for 244 and then hit a mammoth 549-9dec in their first innings, thanks largely to Bohannon’s huge knock.

The former Farnworth Social Circle batsman reached his double-hundred with a pushed single off former Lancashire team-mate Matt Parkinson, before the ex-Heaton bowler finally got him out lbw with a ball that might have been going down the leg side.

In the second innings, the visitors bowled Kent out for 222, Will Williams taking 3-26 and Tom Bailey 3-36.

Charlie Stobo hit his highest first-class score of 64 but the hosts were all out after 30.2 overs on day four.

The result, against the only side who were below them in Division One before this round of fixtures, drastically increases Lancashire’s chances of avoiding the drop, while Kent remain anchored to the foot of the table.

It was an outcome that had looked almost inevitable ever since Kent lost a cluster of wickets midway through day one.

The hosts were a shadow of the side who won convincingly at Old Trafford earlier this season, with six of the players who pulled off what remains their only red-ball win of the season injured or unavailable.

They resumed today on 143-6 with a deficit of 162 and battled bravely before succumbing.

Lancashire host Nottinghamshire at Southport next in a match starting on Sunday.