Kent's batsmen have started the season in fine fettle after being bowled out for 581 on the final day of their draw at Essex.

The LV= County Championship clash at Chelmsford was already going to reach an inevitable conclusion after tea on day four as a placid pitch had nothing in it for the bowlers.

But that meant Kent's batsmen, who have struggled to consistently post big scores in recent seasons, were able to start the season in positive fashion, much to the delight of head coach Matt Walker.

"I thought we were outstanding with the bat - two hundreds in the camp and four fifties," said Walker.

"There were some big partnerships. There was some patience shown and (an) understanding of what that wicket was doing, which wasn’t a lot.

"You had to play a certain way to be successful on it and I thought everyone applied themselves really well. To bat with that confidence was a really good sign for the year.

"If you start as a batsman with runs behind you, it gives you confidence to go forward for the next few games.

"It was very difficult to win the game when the other side has put 500 on the board.

"Coxy was nursing a bit of a side strain in the back-end of the innings and couldn’t really put his foot down.

"Perhaps we could have put our foot down on the accelerator a little bit more and given them a sticky half-and-a-half session or so, but it wasn’t to be and it wasn’t necessarily an easy wicket to be able to do that.

"But we come away with 12 points against a good side like Essex and we move on. I think Essex would admit it was going to be tricky to get a result out of that wicket, not that it was a bad wicket - (there) just not enough in it for the seamers.”

Jordan Cox resumed 100 not out and was first to depart for 129 when he popped up a dolly to short mid-on off Dan Lawrence to leave Kent 475-6.

Matt Critchley (4-114) added his third wicket when Nathan Gilchrist (9) chose to leave a ball rather theatrically and was suitably embarrassed to see his off-stump pinned back.

Matt Milnes, having reached his half-century, launched a six over Critchley’s head. But two balls later he had a rush of blood and picked out substitute Luc Benkenstein on the mid-wicket boundary to depart for a studious 67 from 184 balls having helped Kent beyond Essex's first innings total of 514 at 558-8.

Jackson Bird recorded the fastest fifty of the match having faced just 45 balls when he hit a second six back over Critchley’s head but he ran out of partners when Matt Quinn went for four to give Lawrence (3-98) his third wicket.

With Joe Denly not batting due to a hamstring injury, Kent had established a 67-run lead on the cusp of tea.

Play continued until 4.50pm when Essex had reached 68-1, Nick Browne edging Gilchrist to Cox at slip to depart for nine.