SKIPPER David Fulton was Kent’s only batting casualty as the hosts dominated the opening day of their final championship match against Middlesex.

By the close of the first day in Canterbury Kent had reached 163 for one having lost Fulton for 19 in the fifth over.

In trying to straight drive a Simon Cook slower ball, Fulton found a leading edge to loop a simple catch to Paul Weekes at mid-on.

After that England bats Ed Smith (74) and Rob Key (69) joined forces to add 100 for the second wicket inside 18 overs.

Smith raced to his half-century from 45 balls and with nine fours while Key, having taken 40 minutes to get off the mark, joined him at the landmark from 64 balls and with four fours and a brace of sixes.

He celebrated the half-century by hitting Paul Weekes for another straight six to send Kent in at stumps in pole position in the match and on course to maintain second place.

Earlier, Kent’s understudy wicketkeeper Niall O’Brien pouched six catches to help dismiss Middlesex for 235.

Batting first after winning toss, the visitors got into trouble after lunch losing their last five wickets for 49.

Simon Cusden took three for 47, Matthew Walker two for 21 and Rob Joseph returned to run through the tail with three for 47 as Middlesex succumbed inside 72 overs.

Canterbury-born Cusden made the first breakthrough in the 16th over of the day having Sven Koenig (39) caught behind after edging a flashing, back-foot force.

But at the other end David Stiff suffered a young bowler’s nightmare, sending down seven no balls and a wide in his opening six overs.

Cusden thought he had two when Ben Hutton, with his score on 16, edged a low catch to O’Brien, but the batsmen refused to walk and the umpires John Steele and Michael Harris, remained undecided as to whether the catch had been cleanly taken.

Justice was seemingly done six balls later when Hutton, without addition, top-edged a hook shot to O’Brien running back toward fine leg.

After lunch Matt Walker got in on the act, taking two vital wickets in the space of six overs with his part-time military medium-pace.

Owais Shah (25) nibbled at a leg-cutter to edge behind then Paul Weekes (12) nicked an expansive drive to make it 143 for four.

Ben Trott, playing his last game for the county, then deservedly got in on the act, as Ed Joyce (20) pushed at one running across him to give O’Brien another victim.

Cusden then bagged his third scalp and O’Brien his sixth catch when Ben Scott followed a leg-cutter and edged to the keeper.

The Middlesex tail succumbed in no time, some poor shot selection leading to three ducks for the last three players as Joseph bagged three for three in nine balls.