Chris Piesley knows he is expected to perform at Kent League level in order to push for a place in the county side this summer.

The 20-year-old left-hander from Sittingbourne hit his maiden Kent League ton last Saturday to guide Lordswood to a comfortable Premier Division eight-wicket win at Beckenham but Piesley (pictured) who made his first-class debut against Pakistan in 2010, is aware he needs to be doing that on a consistent basis to put pressure on his more experienced colleagues at St Lawrence.

The Kent professional (pictured) said: "Playing for Kent, that is what they expect. If I get a hundred, then I am supposed to do it. I’ve not batted as much as I’d have liked due to the weather but when I have then I’ve felt in good nick.

"I need to put pressure on the boys in the first team. You have to force your way in and you can never score enough runs – that’s why getting the not out was crucial to me.

"I know that I will be playing club cricket for the first half of the season, so I’d like to score a lot of runs."

Piesley’s 107 not out was a faultless knock and he revealed it was a relief to get to three figures.

"I’ve scored a lot of 90s before so to get my first ton is a big weight off my shoulders, he said.

With the likes of Daniel Bell-Drummond and Sam Billings also hoping to score big runs this summer, Piesley believes the competition for places can only be good for the squad.

He said: "It’s a good thing for Kent. It shows we are in a good position and we don’t mind having that competition for places. It makes everyone push on and we’ve seen that with the first team this season. It makes them perform better and they’ve done that."