AN ED SMITH century and a battling 83 from left-hander Matt Walker left Kent in reasonable shape on 405 for seven after the opening day of their Canterbury Cricket Week clash with Sussex.

Walker batted for 154-balls for his runs, hitting nine fours along the way to see Kent to maximum batting bonus points.

Amjad Khan kept him company for much of the last hour with an unbeaten 16, having seen Niall O’Brien (30) run himself out attempting a three to deep point.

Min Patel chipped in with a useful 26 with four fours, before he lost his off stump to Mushtaq Ahmed and one that slid through bat and pad.

Smith’s excellent innings ended after 276-minutes when Murray Goodwin atoned for his earlier dropped catch.

Having seen Goodwin drop him on 31, Smith added a further 135 for a season’s best 166 from 208 balls before proffering a second chance by smashing a Mohammad Akram long-hop down Goodwin’s throat at long leg.

Matt Dennington then marched in to become Kent’s second golden duck of the day when he went leg before at an Akram off-cutter.

Matt Walker and Niall O’Brien dug in thereafter to take Kent onto their third batting bonus point of the day.

Kent went into the game without England players Geraint Jones and Rob Key, as well as fast bowlers Martin Saggers (knee) and Ian Butler (thigh).

Antigua-born Rob Joseph, 22, was given a home debut and will form an inexperienced new ball attack with England Under-19 seamer Simon Cusden.