THE top two finishers in last season’s Frizzell Championship fought out a thrilling draw in Canterbury on Saturday as the title holder’s Warwickshire held out despite Kent’s concerted last day push for victory.

Former Kent target, Bears’ wicket-keeper bat Tony Frost, was the visiting hero after batting a shade over four hours in fading light for an unbeaten 82 that helped guide Warwickshire's tail to parity and 10 points apiece from this, Kent’s Frizzell opener.

Declaring on their overnight score of 308 for six, Kent set Nick Knight’s side a tough, last day victory target of 347 in overcast and bowler-friendly conditions on an unpredictable pitch.

Their chances of winning were all but gone within three overs as winter recruit Simon Cook bagged both openers as his maiden first-class scalps for Kent since joining from Middlesex.

Knight prodded outside a first ball in-ducker to go leg before then Bell nudged an away-swinger low to Geraint Jones to make it 10 for two.

Kent continued to boss the opening session by taking three more wickets to leave the Bears deep in trouble at lunch on 73 for five.

Jonathan Trott (20) flicked Simon Cusden’s first ball of the day to square leg then the same bowler nipped one back off the seam to snare Michael Powell (21) leg before.

In the last scheduled over before lunch Dougie Brown edged a turning ball from Patel to Jones to leave the hosts cockahoop at the interval.

But Warwickshire showed the mettle of reigning champions thereafter and crucially went through the mid-session without losing a wicket.

Former Kent all-rounder Alex Loudon (64) teamed up with Frost to survive the two-hour stint with a stand worth 116 in 48 overs.

Loudon eventually went after tea when turning a spitting ball from Patel into the hands of Key at short-leg to revive Kent’s hopes of starting the campaign with a win.

Ashley Giles (0) then nicked a bat-pad catch to David Fulton at silly point then Heath Streak failed to smother the spin and allowed the ball to bowl him around his legs as Patel snaffled three for four in 18 balls.

With six overs of the game remaining Khan went around the wicket to give Kent a ninth Warwickshire wicket as Neil Carter (9) snicked to Jones leaving the last pair 33 balls to survive.

Yet time and again Frost and last man Nick Warren were allowed to shoulder arms and allow the ball to sail safely wide or high of off stump.

It was left to Frost to play out Cook’s ineffective last over to finish unbeaten with 82 from 232 balls - 200 of which were ‘dot balls’ – and ensure the status quo.

Though frustrated in their quest for victory, Kent will take heart in the fact that they controlled their opening game for 10 of its 12 sessions and it was Warwickshire who went home feeling the most relieved.

Patel finished with four for 32, Cusden two for 50, Khan one for 42 and Cook two for 51, but inevitably Kent were left wondering what might have been.