KENT’S first-class status shone through as their bowlers rolled over minor county minnows Berkshire in their re-scheduled Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy tie in Canterbury.

Rain delayed the start of the match until 11.45am, but Kent made up for lost time by reducing the visitors to 119 for eight.

Despite fielding three players with first-class experience in Paul Prichard (Essex), Julian Wood (Hampshire) and Carl Crowe (Leicestershire), Berkshire’s batting was soon found to be fragile.

England swing bowler Martin Saggers took three of the first four wickets to fall, while Alamgir Sheriyar sent back the experienced Prichard for 14.

The burly right-hander struck two consecutive extra cover boundaries off Sheriyar but, in trying to pull a full-length ball from the same bowler, paid the penalty for his misjudgement by dragging onto his middle stump.

After breaking through with the new ball, skipper David Fulton introduced James Tredwell and Andrew Symonds, the latter accounting for Crowe and Sameer Patel.

Berkshire skipper Wood made the biggest impression for the visitors, reaching an unbeaten 42.

The game had to be moved from its original venue in Reading to St Lawrence after Berkshire’s Sonning Lane headquarters were deemed unfit for play on Wednesday.