Rain ruined any hopes Kent had of winning the LV=County Championship, Division 2 clash at Derby on Monday.

Kent were 231-5 in pursuit of 329 when the game was called off and ended in a draw.

Earlier, Rob Key (67), captain Sam Northeast (76) and Ben Harmison (50) had put their side well into contention before the rain arrived.

Key’s half-century saw him pass 19,000 first-class runs before he was trapped leg before by Tony Palladino after he had shared a third-wicket stand of 105 with Northeast.

The pair came together with Kent 34-2 following the early losses of opener Daniel Bell-Drummond (19) and Joe Denly (1).

Northeast and Harmison kept Kent heading in the right direction before Northeast was caught behind with 118 needed.

It was Northeast’s first fifty in 12 championship innings and it included nine fours and a six.

Harmison took up the attack, hitting Chesney Hughes for three fours in four deliveries before the left-arm spinner got his revenge by having him caught at slip just before tea.

That left Kent needing 98 and wondering what might have been had the rain not arrived.

Kent’s championship campaign continues against Lancashire at Canterbury next Tuesday (September 1).

Before then, they travel to the Kia Oval to play Surrey in the Royal London One-Day Cup quarter-finals on Thursday (2pm).