Kent fought back on day two of their LV= Insurance County Championship match with Gloucestershire at Canterbury, reaching 232-3 at stumps.

In a contest so far dominated by the bat, Daniel Bell-Drummond made 89 and Ben Compton 80, leaving Kent 206 runs behind their Division 1 relegation rivals, with Jack Leaning and Jordan Cox unbeaten at the close of play.

Bottom-of-the-table Gloucestershire were earlier dismissed for 438, having added 50 to their overnight score, Ollie Price going for 51 and Zafar Gohar 49, while Matt Milnes finished with 4-93.

In front of a crowd swelled by 960 children, attending as part of the Schools Day Out initiative, Gloucestershire resumed on 388-7.

Although they lost Price early when he was caught hooking Milnes to Leaning at square leg, Gohar took them past the 400 mark, before falling one run short of his half-century when he edged Jacob Duffy behind.

Sam Billings then took a smart, diving catch off Grant Stewart to dismiss Zak Chappell for nine and wrap up the innings.

Chappell struck an early blow when he bowled Ollie Robinson’s off-stump for three, but Compton dropped anchor, batting through the afternoon session, while Bell-Drummond scored more freely at the other end, glancing Zafar for a single to reach his 50.

Well over an hour later Compton nudged Phillips to point for a single to reach the same landmark in the final over before tea, at which point Kent were 151-1.

The partnership was finally broken when Bell-Drummond was caught behind off Ryan Higgins, while Compton’s eventual departure was the latest in a string of luckless dismissals.

Attempting to reverse sweep Gohar, the kneeling Compton hit the ball into the ground, with replays suggesting it either bounced up off his pad or off the wicket before it was caught by Glenn Phillips, but Cox and Leaning ensured there were no further alarms.

Bell-Drummond said: “It was a good day for us, it was good to get them out quite early on, the bowlers did a good job and I think we got off to a good start with the bat.

"The game’s still in the balance, I think Gloucestershire battled hard in the field and were very competitive, but I think we’re pretty happy with the way things are right now.

“We need to deal with the second new ball, I think that’ll be a key period in the game and then we’ll try and push on from there. We’ve been in these positions before this year and sometimes we haven’t taken advantage, so first and foremost see off the second new ball and then look to go past them.

“I really enjoy batting with Ben, he’s awesome to bat with and he’s had an unbelievable year so far. I’m always learning lots off him and everyone loves him in the changing room, for obvious reasons. He’s really great to bat with and we complement each other well.

“I was watching from the balcony but couldn’t really tell what happened with his dismissal as the slip was in front of my view, but he did say when he came in that he wasn’t sure what happened and it was a bit inconclusive.

"It seems to be the only way he can get out, in strange ways! He’s been pretty immovable this year, so something freakish was the only way he was going to get out.”