Kent came close to breaking a record fifth-wicket partnership which has stood for nearly 100 years on the opening day of their first-class match against a Sri Lanka Development XI on Friday.

All-rounders Darren Stevens and South African George Linde put on 264 to take the side from 95-4 to end the first day of the four-day game 418-6 as Stevens was bowled by Udith Madushan (2-75) for a swashbuckling 168.

On his home debut, there was a maiden Kent ton for Linde in Canterbury, too. He was caught off the bowling of spinner Ashen Bandara (1-30) for a classy 107 late in the day.

Their partnership was just 13 short of the Kent record which is held by Frank Woolley and Les Ames who put on a 277-run partnership against a New Zealand side back in 1931.

Stevens’ knock also saw the 46-year-old move past 13,000 first-class runs for Kent with the innings including 29 boundaries - 24 fours and five sixes.

He returned to the team after he had missed last week’s County Championship draw against Yorkshire to make his 34th Kent first-class ton.

Explaining why he had not been involved at Headingley, Kent head coach Matt Walker, who described Stevens as “this sort of incredible human being that just keeps going on”, said he had not looked his usual sharp self with the ball at the start of the season after a pre-season hamstring problem.

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“We expect Darren to come back and push to get back into the team,” he said, speaking before the start of the Sri Lanka game.

“But sometimes, you just have to look at it objectively and think ‘What are the best four seamers for this next game?’ We know what Darren has done over the years, how good he is, but he’s not quite seemed his usual sparky self.

“I think he’s found it tough these last three weeks, bowling on those wickets, and I think it was the right change to freshen it up and to give Darren a bit of time to get back to where he wants to get to.

“He’s not far away at all. Obviously when you leave Darren Stevens out the team, people’s eyes open wide because everyone knows what he’s done over the years.

“But we’ve got to keep moving forward, looking at it objectively and looking at it here and now, and try to come up with the best attack we think will help us win the game.”

Earlier in the day, opener Marcus O'Riordan (31), Joe Denly (35) and stand-in skipper Jack Leaning (22) all made starts before Kent were reduced to 95-4 prior to their fightback.

Kent duo Hamidullah Qadri and Billy Mead reached stumps 19 not out and 15 not out, respectively.