Joe Denly starred for Kent on day one of this county championship match at The Nevill Ground in glorious sunshine hitting a season-high 119 in front of a bumper crowd of circ 3,000.

Scoring 78 at the same venue against the same opponents last July the Kent man once more scored well, almost seeing day one through having come in after only three balls.

Kent made one change for the game as Matt Hunn was replaced by Joe Weatherley on a wicket renowned for offering runs to the batsmen.

With that in mind Kent unsurprisingly elected to bat first having won the toss.

Undeterred Sussex, fresh from a win earlier in the week against Durham, began well with the ball. Former Kent man Vernon Philander and the impressive to date Jofra Archer gave little away to Kent openers Daniel Bell-Drummond and Sean Dickson (0) the latter succumbing to the early pressure edging behind off the bowling of Archer into the gloves of wicket-keeper Michael Burgess (0/1).

The tight bowling was such that after the first half hour of play Kent had only plundered seven off the opening seven over’s and approaching the opening hour mark the pattern remained the same inside which Joe Denly (3) survived an appeal for caught behind off the bowling of Philander although followed it up guiding the ball down to an unmanned third-man for four, moving Kent into double-figures and finishing the over with a delightful straight drive past the South African for four more (11*, 15/1).

The Kent pair stood strong to see off Sussex’s opening bowlers after the opening hours play the hosts were 25/1 (Bell-Drummond 13*, Denly 12*). It was a testing time with Kent surviving a stern test for the loss of only one wicket (Dickson, 0).

After the early wicket Kent re-established themselves, Denly in particular looking in good form with some impressive strokes and a variety of run-scoring shots around the ground.

However it was at the other end that Kent had issues prior to the lunch interval as Bell-Drummond (14) flayed at a high and wide David Weiss delivery caught by Danny Briggs at Point (45/1) and although new man and Captain Sam Northeast played the ball delightfully for four through the offside to bring up the hosts fifty soon edged to Burgess (9) off the bowling of Philander leaving Kent precariously 58/3.

New man Joe Weatherley (3) ably supported Denly (41) to bring the hosts to lunch no worse off, Kent 69/3 at the interval.

The new pair succeeded in establishing themselves post-lunch moving the hosts along nicely, Weatherley leading the way finding opportunities to score regularly and well, a difficult task in the opening session.

They brought about the hosts one-hundred and shortly afterwards Denly reached a deserved half century with an excellent straight drive (99b, 9x4s) following it with another four through mid-wicket.

With a bowling change, however, the visitors found the breakthrough as David Weiss returned to the attack and was immediately successful enticing Weatherley (33) who could only edge behind to Burgess leaving Kent 115/4 (Denly 55*).

Kent talisman and effervescent Darren Stevens showed early form and promise settling in quickly resulting in a rapid move into the teens with a hat-trick of boundaries splayed around The Nevill Ground (133/4, Denly 57*, Stevens 16*)

Introducing Danny Briggs into the attack the visitors looked to stem the now very regular flow of runs, primarily from the bat of Stevens, but it came to no avail as the Kent all-rounder continued in the same vane.

However persistence paid off for Sussex tempting Stevens to play shots over the infield as he tried his luck once to often with Briggs striking the ball straight to Chris Nash at mid-on. Stevens out for a flashy run-a-ball 44, Kent 175/5 (Denly 65*).

With the fall of wicket the visitors stemmed the flow of runs as Will Gidman strived to bed himself in. The new partnership looking to consolidate at the back-end of the afternoon session ready to kick-on in the evening round guiding Kent into tea 195/5 (Denly 75*, Gidman 10*). The hosts plundering 126 runs for the loss of two wickets during the session.

Kent were in the ascendency coming into the third and final session of the days play. Whereas they found it tough in the early stages perhaps the cloudless skies and high heat was taking its toll on the fielding side.

Having been cautious up until the interval Gidman looked more assured after the break looking more so to score runs than earlier in his innings, meanwhile at the other end Denly continued into the ‘nervous nineties’ and in doing so with a gloriously struck four straight past the bowler brought about his highest county championship score of the season so far.

And Denly wasn’t to be denied as he moved past the hundred mark for the first time this season striking the ball through the off-side for four runs – His century coming from 188 deliveries and included thirteen boundaries.

Unfortunately for Kent his partner, Gidman, wasn’t able to push on led by Denly’s example falling leg-before to Briggs on 42 leaving Kent in a much healthier position of 260/6 compared to the position they were in during the early stages.

Rouse, coming in after a rich vein of form in recent times, set himself well much akin to Gidman during the late-afternoon session.

However his partner, Joe Denly, who had come in after only three balls into the days play could not see the day out playing across the line of a straight Philander delivery – The ball rapping the pads and the umpires dreaded finger went up to end a fine innings – Denly out for 119 from 208 balls and included sixteen boundaries, Kent 281/7.

On-loan James Harris joined Rouse at number nine to lead Kent past a third batting point and it was the wicket-keeper for Kent who shone as the days light faded into the evening leaving well when needed and the distinct majority of his runs coming from despatching loose deliveries to unmanned areas of the boundary rope.

As the day came to a close Harris (7) lost his wicket, leg-before, to an impressive delivery by Weiss, bringing in James Tredwell (0*) who, along with Rouse (32*), saw out the remainder of the days play.

From the position Kent found themselves in during the early stages of this match here on day one they fought back well to set up the rest of the game and particularly day two very nicely indeed.

With the weather set fair a bumper crowd in Tunbridge Wells could be in for an exciting match.

Kent’s century-maker Joe Denly said: “It was a grafting sort of day really and they bowled pretty well early on without much luck. The first hour was especially tough, but as soon as the new ball wore off it became a bit easier.

“Then the ball became a little soft and there were times when it was tricky to score, so it was just a case of spending time out there and hoping the runs would come.

“A few of us, if we’re honest, gout ourselves out today, but hopefully we can add a few more tomorrow and get up around 400. That would be ideal and you never know. With Matt Coles, coming in at 11, he can strike a ball as well as anyone, so we’re hopeful the tail-end can get us a few more.”

Sussex veteran Chris Nash said his side were fairly satisfied with their first day performance. “History says this plays as a fairly flat wicket and, with a quick outfield you get full reward for your shots, so to keep them down to 316 isn’t to be sniffed at.

“We stopped them scoring for long periods and kept them fown to threes [three an over] throughout the day which we’re very happy with. It nibbled about a bit this morning and could have had five out by lunch, but we kept coming at them all day and as a four-man seam attack backed up by Danny Briggs, thought we did really well.”