Opener Ben Compton didn’t take long to score his first century of the summer for Kent - but already has a new target in his sights.

Compton began 2022 with three successive hundreds and ended his breakthrough campaign with more than 1,000 County Championship Division 1 runs.

He struck 114 not out and was part of an unbroken 167-run partnership with Jack Leaning to see Kent to a seven-wicket win over Northamptonshire at Canterbury on Easter Sunday as he started 2023 in similar style.

The left-hander will now turn his attention to a trip to Edgbaston to face Warwickshire in their next four-day game, which starts from tomorrow.

Kent won their County Championship clash in Birmingham last July. While 29-year-old Compton would love to be a part of another victory, having only contributed nine runs then, he’ll hope to chip in more himself this time.

He revealed: “I average about four at Edgbaston! I’m going to try and get my head down there and make amends for that.

“It was a fantastic win [last year]. They’re a good side, so we’ve got to be on our A-game.

• Kent claim opening-match win

"All our attention is there but the thing about the first month of the season is they [the matches] come around pretty quick so you don’t get to linger.

“You have to look ahead, pretty much, all the time.”

The Durban-born man is excited about the prospect of playing at the Test venue once again.

“I think everybody enjoys playing there,” he noted.

“It’s a wonderful ground and you normally get quite good crowds. You always enjoy that.”

Teams know more about Compton this year, of course, after his exploits last season.

But he wasn’t overly-concerned about getting his first ton of the summer on the board as he guided Kent to victory over Northamptonshire. Leaning came in with the score at 60-3, chasing 227.

Compton, whose second-innings knock included 14 boundaries, said: “I think the hundred was very much a consequence.

"It wasn’t something I thought about, to be honest.

“There was a bit of a tense moment when Jack first came in. That can kind of go one of two ways in that situation.

“It was very much just about small targets, the next 10 runs, the next 10 overs and getting through a spell, and that sort of thing. You just stick with that and see where it takes you.

“Obviously, I’m very pleased to get a hundred but it’s fantastic that it was in a winning cause.”

Leaning more than played his part, too, with his 67 not out, and Compton added: “He’s very fun to bat with.

“He’s a good runner between the wickets and we hit the ball in different areas, so we complement each other well.

“He played beautifully in a tense scenario so well done to him.”

A tough pre-season for Kent meant they saw little action due to rain ahead of their opening match against Northamptonshire.

Compton said: “It’s no one’s fault, but we’ve had a tough pre-season with lots of rain around.

“We’ve been blessed in the last three days to have some sun around, so time in the middle for batters, time at the ground and time on their feet for bowlers, which was all excellent.

“We got a good four days out of it but pre-season is well and truly behind us now.”

Compton, who extended his Kent contract last Christmas while continuing his red-hot form in the winter playing for Mountaineers in Zimbabwe's first-class domestic competition, insists there isn’t much rustiness he needs to shake off.

“Personally, I feel well-seasoned in terms of cricket,” he explained.

“I spent a couple of months in Zimbabwe again, which was fantastic.

"I had a good five or six games out there and then I spent some time in Cape Town for about three weeks, so I had a lot of cricket over the winter.

“That was nice and we’re very grateful to have that freedom to go and play, a few others had the same.

“I felt okay but, obviously, differences lie with the Dukes ball and slightly slower, nibbly, wickets. That all takes time adjusting to.

“So I try to stay humble and keep working hard.”