Mike Powell’s fifty was the highlight for Kent as they found batting difficult on the first day of Canterbury Week against Essex.

The former Glamorgan batsman brought up 13,000 first class runs shortly after bringing up his half century, whilst Azhar Mahmood fell one shy of his fifty as Kent were bowled out for just 226 after winning the toss and electing to bowl first.

Under cloudy skies, Kent made heavy weather of batting against a vociferous Essex attack that included David Masters and Harbhajan Singh with Essex finishing the day on 14 for 0 in reply.

With James Tredwell on England Lions duty, Mark Davies failing a late fitness test and Ben Harmison rested from the side after a poor run of form of late, in came Alex Blake, Azhar Mahmood and Adam Riley.

Having won the toss, Rob Key and Sam Northeast looked to carry on their recent good form with the bat, but it wasn’t to be as the Kent skipper was out for just five as he served up a leading edge from Maurice Chambers and the ball looped up in the air for the bowler to take a sharp caught and bowled.

It was down to Northeast and Alex Blake, in at three, to steady the ship and the two young batsmen were content on working the ball around whilst picking off the odd bad ball.

However, with the score on fifty eight, Northeast was unfortunate to lose his wicket for 32 as he edged Chambers to Harbhajan Singh at second slip, only to see the Indian spinner spoon the ball up in the air straight into the gloves of the grateful James Foster.

Three balls later and Kent were three down when Blake made the mistake of shouldering arms to a quicker ball from Graham Napier that took out his stumps and meant he had to make the long walk back to the pavilion for 19.

Brendan Nash and Powell saw the side safely through to lunch without any further concern, but just two balls into the new session the West Indian lost his wicket as he edged Masters to Harnhajan at second slip for 11.

Again it was a case of having to rebuild for Kent and they seemed to be doing so well when Darren Stevens had his stumps rearranged by Napier after playing on for 20 with the score on 120 for 5.

Geraint Jones fought hard to build a partnership with Powell, rotating the strike back to the former Glamorgan man, but he was trapped lbw by Masters for five.

That brought Azhar Mahmood to the wicket and the former Pakistan all-rounder went about playing some attractive strokes with Powell happy to bludgeon the odd bad ball to the boundary.

Powell went on to bring up his half century with ease and just a few balls later he knocked off his 13,000th career first class run.

With tea looming, Powell played one shot too many as he fended a ball from Chambers straight into the waiting hands of Harbhajan at slip, ending his innings on 62.

Resuming from the tea interval at 184 for 7, Kent went on to add another 42 runs for the final three wickets as Matt Coles was became Harbhajan’s only victim of the innings for four, Adam Riley edged Masters behind for five and Mahmmod was the last man out when on 49 as Napier picked up his third wicket, getting one to nip back and take out the stumps.

There were just nine overs for Essex openers Tom Westley and Jaik Mickleburgh to see off before the close and the pair put on 14 runs before umpires Nigel Llong and Jerry Lloyds called time on a difficult day for Kent.

Kent won the toss and elected to bat

Kent line up: Northeast, Key, Blake, Nash, Powell, Stevens, Jones, Mahmood, Coles, Riley, Shreck.

Essex line up: Mickleburgh, Westley, Shah, Pettini, ten Doeschate, Wheater, Foster, Napier, Singh, Masters, Chambers.

Umpires: N Llong & J Lloyds

Close of play day one: Kent 226 all out, Essex 14 for 0.