Injury-hit Kent’s bowling attack was depleted even further on a tough first day of their LV= Insurance County Championship Division 1 match against Somerset at Taunton on Tuesday.

Their woes were compounded by an injury to Michael Hogan, the 42-year-old seamer limping off with what looked like a hamstring or thigh problem having bowled 11.2 overs for 30 runs, as opener Tom Lammonby (109) and Lewis Goldsworthy (70 not out) left the hosts 214-2.

Morning rain led to a 1.45pm start and Kent's bowlers looked to have ideal conditions when they took to the field. The pitch was green and the floodlights were already on beneath overcast skies.

But, having left out their specialist spinners, the visitors' seam attack failed to get enough balls in the right areas to capitalise on any movement, allowing Lammonby and Tom Abell to make a positive start to the Somerset innings.

Skipper Abell, promoted to opener in the absence of former Kent player Sean Dickson, whose partner has just given birth, gave a more solid look to the top order, while Lammonby went for his shots from the outset.

The left-hander hit three fours in an over from Arafat Bhuiyan (1-57), who struggled for line and length in his opening spell. Hogan switched ends after bowling three overs but was unable to make a mark while being typically economical.

Lammonby and Abell comfortably brought up a half-century stand in the 14th over, the former moving to a fluent fifty off 52 balls with 10 fours.

Their partnership had reached 73 when Abell, on 20, played a loose shot to a Bhuiyan delivery wide of off stump and edged to Tawanda Muyeye at first slip.

By then, Somerset were well placed and Goldsworthy, also batting higher in the order than usual having spent much of the season in the 2nd XI, helped Lammonby build on their encouraging start.

The pair notched another half-century stand off 83 balls, both producing an array of attacking shots in taking the score to 127-1 off 31 overs at tea. Lammonby had played and missed a few times, but otherwise looked in fine form to be unbeaten on 70.

He gave a chance on 76 at the start of the final session when Daniel Bell-Drummond spilled a sharp chance at gully off Jas Singh (0-59).

The dependable Hogan departed soon afterwards and Kent's attack lacked variety – with Grant Stewart, Nathan Gilchrist and Matt Quinn among those not to feature due to injury already - as Goldsworthy moved to 49, before more rain brought a short interruption, with three more overs lost. Goldsworthy’s fifty occupied 85 balls, with seven fours.

A single off Joey Evison (0-40) took Lammonby to his hundred off 137 balls.

It had been an apparently effortless innings packed with sweetly-timed strokes - but hopes that he would still be there at stumps ended when he nibbled at a decent delivery from Bell-Drummond (1-24) and edged through to wicketkeeper Harry Finch.

Goldsworthy's innings lost nothing by comparison and he was still there, having faced 150 balls and hit nine fours, when bad light ended play on a rain-shortened day at 5.55pm.

Kent head coach Matt Walker said: “The day didn’t go as we anticipated.

“It was a good toss to win under cloudy skies, with the pitch having been under covers for 24 hours or so.

“The wicket was very green and, unfortunately, we didn’t use the conditions to our favour. We just didn’t put enough balls in the right area.

“When we did, there was plenty there for the bowlers. But we weren’t able to create any pressure at all.

“Tom Lammonby got one of the easier hundreds you are likely to see, so it was very disappointing.

“When you talk about injuries, it always sound like you are making excuses. But they have been ongoing all season and Michael Hogan’s today has topped it off.

“You’ve got to laugh or cry. It was a big ask for our young seamers, but they have bowled better.”