A sprited innings of 48 from skipper Robert Key was the highlight for Kent as they looked to battle back against Northamptonshire at Canterbury.

The visitors started the day on 244 for 4 with David Sales and James Middlebrook well set and an 157 run partnership behind them and the pair went on to add another 48 before Kent finally made the breakthrough.

It was Sales that went first as he looked to sweep James Tredwell after hitting the spinner for two fours, but all he succeeded in doing was paddling the ball into the greatful gloves of Geraint Jones.

He walked off to some warm applause from the St Lawrence faithful, having put on a record fifth wicket stand of 205 against Kent with Middlebrook.

Just six more runs were added to the score when the former Essex all-rounder was himself dismissed as Matt Coles speared one through his defences trapping him lbw for 73.

Sensing a chance to knock over their opponents for a reasonable score, Kent went looking for more wickets, but a counter attack from Con de Lange and David Willey put the bowlers to the sword.

In the end, the pair were to put on 100 for the seventh wicket with Willey finally out for 64 as he was caught in the deep by Scott Newman off Darren Stevens bowling.

Lee Daggett followed shortly after as he chipped one from Tredwell to skipper Rob Key at mid on and the innings was wrapped up not long later when Jack Brooks dragged the ball on from Stevens having smashed two big sixes.

With Rob Newton unable to bat after sustaining a broken bone just above his left hand on Wednesday, Northants left the field at 418 for 9.

Kent’s reply started solidly with Key and Newman looking to lay the platform for the middle order, but the latter was undone by a superb ball by Daggett that cleaned him up for 16.

Having passed the hundred mark, Key and Ben Harmison were starting to look comfortable at the crease with the pair putting on 63 for the second wicket before the latter drove a wide ball from former Kent all-rounder Andrew Hall into the hands of Willey at backward point.

From Hall’s next over from the Nackington Road End, he managed to entice Key into clipping the ball into the gloves of former Kent keeper Niall O’Brien for 48.

Both Mike Powell and Brendan Nash faced some uncomfortable overs in fading light with the floodlights on as Northants went for another wicket, but the pair held firm and will look to come out in the morning and put on a stand of some significance.

Northants won the toss and elected to bat first

Umpires: NGB Cook & NGB Cowley

Kent side: Key, Newman, Harmison, Nash, Powell, Stevens, Jones, Tredwell, Coles, Davies, Shreck.

Northants side: Peters, Newton, Coetzer, Sales, Hall, O’Brien, Middlebrook, De Lange, Willey, Daggett, Brooks.

Close of play day two: Northants 418 for 9 (144.3 overs), Kent 123 for 3 (47 overs)

Picture by Sarah Ansell. To see more of Sarah’s pictures, visit www.sarahcanterbury.com