A sparkling century from Ben Harmison and an unbeaten 98 from Darren Stevens saw Kent take control of their County Championship game against Gloucestershire.

With the fans packed into the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence for the 162nd Canterbury week festival, the sun shone on the crowds and favoured the Kent batsmen despite a difficult opening session.

It was Kent skipper James Tredwell that won the toss and he had no hesitation in batting first on a slightly green tinged wicket.

However, it seemed to be a less than inspired decision with the side reduced to 46 for 3 midway through the morning session.

Sam Northeast failed to lay a bat on his opening five balls of the innings with the sixth from Will Gidman nipping back and rearranging the stumps.

In at three, Daniel Bell-Drummond looked slightly more assured with a couple of boundaries under his belt, but when on nine a David Payne ball trapped him in front.

Rocking at 20 for 2, Brendan Nash looked to dig his side out of a hole after his heroics against Gloucestershire earlier in the season.

With a county cap to be awarded at the lunchtime interval, Nash looked cool, calm and collected, but found his innings at an end when on 14 when Liam Norwell got one through his defences.

Both Rob Key and Ben Harmison took Kent through to the lunch interval without further alarm and began to punish the bowling in the afternoon.

Shortly after bringing up his fifty, Key was the fourth Kent batsman to make his way back to the pavillion when Ben Howell got him to nick one through to Gareth Roderick behind the stumps.

That brought Darren Stevens to the wicket and he took no time at all to get into gear. With Harmison, the pair were to punish some wayward Gloucestershire bowling, picking the run rate up to beyond four an over.

Harmison soon breezed past his fifty and shortly after tea he went to three figures (15 fours) , much to the delight of the Kent faithful packed into the ground and frequenting the marquees.

The former Durham batsman’s stay was to end shortly after as he edged Norwell behind for 106.

With time running out in the day, Geraint Jones looked to keep the rapid pace of the game going, crashing four boundaries, but his time at the crease ended on 27 when he nicked behind off Payne trying to bring up successive fours.

Time wasn’t to be on Stevens’ side as he ended up on 98 not out (17 fours) with James Tredwell keeping him company until the close and the pair will resume in the morning looking to take Kent’s score well beyond 400.

 

Kent won the toss and elected to bat

Kent side: Northeast, Key, Bell-Drummond, Nash, Harmison, Stevens, Jones, Tredwell, Claydon, Haggett, Shreck.

Gloucestershire side: Klinger, Dent, Roderick, A Gidman, Marshall, Howell, W Gidman, Smith, Payne, Miles, Norwell.

Close of play day one: Kent 334 for 6 (Harmison 106, Stevens 98 not out).

Harmison pictures supplied by www.sarahansellphotography.com