Kent are fighting to salvage something from their LV= Insurance County Championship Division 1 game against Essex at Canterbury after day two on Tuesday.

Feroze Khushi’s maiden first-class century (164) came from 228 balls and included two sixes and 18 fours, while Matt Critchley made 90 and Ben Allison 53 to get the visitors to 573 all out.

Sam Cook and Jamie Porter then claimed 2-14 and 2-30 respectively, against a Kent side already hindered by injuries to captain Sam Billings and Matt Milnes.

Jack Leaning and Jordan Cox were the not out batsmen on 19 and one when the umpires brought the players off for bad light with six overs remaining.

Khushi hit the first ball of the day, from Grant Stewart, through midwicket for four to bring up his half-century, before a soporific hour ensued.

The contest spluttered to life when Daniel Bell-Drummond, bowling because Milnes was struggling with a back issue, had Critchley caught behind by Ollie Robinson, who was keeping wicket because Billings suffered a groin injury on day one.

The possibly under-used Bell-Drummond then removed Adam Rossington, caught at cow corner by substitute fielder Hamid Qadri for six and Harry Podmore had Shane Snater caught by Matt Quinn for 11, but the torpor returned as Essex advanced to 408-7 at lunch.

Khushi reached three figures 40 minutes after the restart, cutting Joe Denly to backward point and leaping in the air as he completed the single, before he removed his helmet and kissed the St Lawrence wicket.

As Essex went through the gears, Allison reached 50 with a straight driven four off the same bowler but, after passing his previous highest first-class score of 52, Denly took his middle stump.

Khushi took Essex past 500 by hitting Denly back over his head for six and rapidly put on 69 for the ninth wicket with Cook, who made 38 before he holed out off Denly and was caught on the boundary by substitute Joey Evison.

The innings finally ended when Khushi miscued a drive off Podmore and was caught by Jack Leaning, who held the catch despite a collision with the in-rushing Stewart.

Kent’s reply began with a questionable hook shot by Robinson that just eluded two fielders, and Ben Compton had made just two when Jamie Porter bowled him behind his legs, sending his leg-stump flying.

Robinson then cracked Porter to Allison at point and was out for 14, and Bell-Drummond fell to a smart one-handed catch by Rossington off Cook for 18.

Denly hung around for 45 balls before Cook had him caught behind for 11 but play was officially abandoned at 5.27pm, to the audible relief of Kent's supporters.

Podmore, 28, said: "It’s been tough. We bowled well in patches, but I think we’re all honest enough to know there were more than a couple of overs when we let them off the hook a bit. We beat the bat quite a lot actually with very little reward.

"When they bowled tonight, they had one bowled behind the legs and one caught at point and I think Daniel Bell-Drummond was the only one who got a pretty good nut from Cook, but it’s just one of those games and we’ve got a big job to do tomorrow.

"I was padded up and ready to go in. It’s been 17 weeks since I bowled more than 10 overs so 32 was a bit of a shock to the system. I’m looking forward to going to sleep tonight!

"We’re all professional cricketers and we’ve all been in situations that haven’t necessarily favoured us so it’s up to us to turn it round and really dig it out.

"Jack and Jordan enjoy batting together and I know Jack’s hungry to bat for a long time, having been away with The Hundred and not played a game.

"He’s said he’s happy to be back and playing so, hopefully, he capitalises on that."