Kent had to settle for a draw despite seeing the history books rewritten as they faced Northamptonshire at Beckenham this week.

A flat pitch at the County Ground and some astonishing batting performances in this week's Specsavers County Championship Division 2 match, with Sean Dickson stealing the show.

After Kent won the toss and opted to bat first, they lost opener Daniel Bell-Drummond for 49 after putting on 129 with Dickson.

In-form Joe Denly and Dickson then proceeded to share the highest partnership for any wicket in the club's storied 147-year history, putting on 382 runs for the second wicket in a 72.4-over onslaught across Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning while Dickson later became just the second Kent batsman to post a triple century before eventually departing for 318.

He fell just 14 runs short of the highest ever by a Kent batsman and 26 shy of the record score posted during a game in the county, set by W G Grace for the MCC against Kent at Canterbury in 1876.

Dickson and Denly surpassed the previous best second wicket stand of 366 - set by Simon Hinks and Neil Taylor against Middlesex in 1990 - before topping the overall record of 368 put on by Aravinda De Silva and Graham Cowdrey for the fourth wicket against Derbyshire at the Mote in 1995.

Denly eventually departed for 182 with the scoreboard showing 511-1 after hitting 15 fours and five sixes in his 226-ball stay.

It was the 31-year-old's third century in five Championship matches after 119 against Sussex at Tunbridge Wells and his career-best 227 at Worcester two weeks ago.

Dickson meanwhile surpassed his highest ever First Class score of 207 and posted Kent's highest ever total against Northants - beating Frank Woolley's 217 in 1926.

He eventually departed after eight hours and 40 minutes at the crease after facing 408 balls, hitting 31 of them for four with three sixes.

The highest score ever recorded by a Kent batsman remains Bill Ashdown's 332 against Essex at Brentwood in 1934.

The highest home score by a Kent batsman also belonged to Ashdown after his unbeaten 305 against Derbyshire at Dover the following season but Dickson breezed past his score.

After Dickson departed on the second afternoon, Sam Northeast (38) and Sam Billings (42) propelled Kent to eventually declare on 701-7 - the second highest First Class score in their history, though more than 100 behind the total in the Brentwood match.

Northants rallied on the second afternoon with Ben Duckett racing to three figures before the close and Rob Newton adding 57 before becoming the first of four scalps for Yasir Shah, who toiled for 57 overs to claim 4-165.

Alex Wakeley (32) fell to Matt Hunn (3-90) and when Yasir bowled Rob Keogh, the visitors were 255-4.

However Max Holden (153) and Adam rossington (112) put on 239 for the fifth wicket to dampen Kent's hopes and they survived to sneak past the follow-on total on the final morning, being bowled out for 568, a record against Kent, though still a deficit of 133.

The final wicket went to James Tredwell who finished with 1-122 from 33 overs.

Bell-Drummond (5) departed early in Kent's second innings but Dickson hit a further 60 and shared 101 with Denly for the second wicket.

With the game petering out the visitors used seven bowlers, one of them Duckett, who claimed his maiden First Class wicket with the scalp of Northeast (27).

Denly passed 1,000 Championship runs for the season as he posted an unbeaten 78 but the sides shook hands around 5pm when Kent declared on 184-3.

Kent claimed 11 points from the draw to extend their lead over Northants in the table by two, but remain two adrift of second-placed Worcestershire and 28 adrift of leaders Notts.