KENT hit back after a sluggish start to put reigning championship Sussex in a spot of bother after a rain-delayed start to their LV Championship match at Hove as the hosts closed on 213 for seven.

Play eventually started at 1.15pm when acting Kent skipper Martin van Jaarsveld won the toss and put Sussex in to bat.

There were blue skies overhead by mid-afternoon and with the hosts looking set fair on 96 for one, the omens looked bleak for Kent.

Their first breakthrough came after 10 overs and an opening stand of 31 when opener Chris Nash, on 19, was bowled by Robbie Joseph.

His opening partner Carl Hopkinson looked comfortable in reaching 35 but, with the score on 96, he chanced a second run to an overthrow to third man and was run out by van Jaarsveld's follow up throw to the striker's end.

Things started to improved considerably for the visitors five balls after the resumption when Murray Goodwin, on four, drove at a Yasir Arafat delivery from the Sea End and edged low to James Tredwell at first slip.

In the next over, Yardy (33) attempted to force off the back foot against Joseph and only succeeded in dragging the ball on to his off stump.

Four runs later, Chris Adams (2), in trying to clip through mid-wicket, found a leading edge to Neil Dexter at mid-on to make it 107 for five.

Sussex re-grouped though sixth-wicket partners Luke Wright and Matt Prior who played cautiously until around 6pm when Prior broke out with successive boundaries off Joseph.

The pair added 84 in 26 overs until Wright (23), playing late on an Arafat off-cutter had his off stump pegged back in the 69th over of the day.

Prior posted his 96-ball half-century with five fours just before the close but there was still time for Arafat to take his fourth wicket by trapping Robin Martin-Jenkins leg-before to give the Pakistan all-rounder figures of four for 68.

The day started with news that Rob Key would miss out with a virus leaving van Jaarsveld to lead the side. James Tredwell will open the innings when Kent bat, while Neil Dexter comes in to strengthen the middle order.

Joseph was also preferred to Martin Saggers.

The game is scheduled to resume at 11am on Thursday, but again, the weather forecast is mixed.