Kent made solid progress on the opening day of their Rothesay County Championship with Middlesex at Canterbury.
There were half-centuries for openers Ben Compton and Ben Dawkins plus Chris Benjamin as the reached 356-7 after opting to bat first.
However, Kent’s progress was checked by Seb Morgan (4-90) and Tom Helm (3-63).
The 174th Canterbury Festival got underway in front of a crowd of 2,628, swelled by over 1,000 schoolchildren.
Kent reached 64-0 at lunch. There was plenty of movement, and while little of it troubled the batters, it took 39 minutes before the first boundary, from Dawkins.
Dawkins had nudged his way to 50 soon after the resumption, edging Morgan for four, when he went to the same bowler, caught by Max Holden off a leading edge.
Helm subsequently got both Compton (53) and Daniel Bell-Drummond caught behind, the latter for five after an athletic grab by Joe Cracknell.
He then bowled Sam Northeast for 42 with one that cut back as Kent reached 202-4 at tea.
The hosts responded with another half-century stand, but this was broken when Morgan had Ekansh Singh caught behind for 17.
Benjamin cut Zafar through backward point to reach his half-century and Grant Stewart survived a dicey opening spell to dump Naavya Sarma for six over mid-wicket.
Their partnership, worth 64, was broken when Morgan had Benjamin (70) caught behind and Stewart was two shy of his half-century when Morgan bowled him.
But Keith Dudgeon and Matt Milnes added some useful runs, steering Kent to a third batting point shortly before stumps.
Report via ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
