WHITSTABLE Cricket Club rookie Joe Denly suffered a first-class debut to forget in posting a golden duck in his first appearance for Kent County Cricket Club.

The young leg-spinner and batsman was asked to open the county’s innings at the start of their three-day friendly with Oxford University Centre of Cricketing excellence, but became the first and only victim of a rain-affected opening day in The Parks.

Having been invited to bat first, Kent got off the mark with two and then a single from in-form Michael Carberry that bought Denly on to strike.

But the fifth ball of the match proved to good for Denly as he was trapped leg before by Dark Blue’s new ball bowler A K Suman.

Carberry added another six runs in the second over of the innings but, having waited patiently for a 3.30pm start, the rain returned forcing play to be abandoned for the day with Kent on nine for one.

Carberry (9) and Smith (0) were the not out batsmen in a match that is scheduled to conclude on Friday.

Kent team: Denly, Carberry, Smith (capt), Loudon, Jones, Tredwell, Dennington, Khan, Ferley, Stiff, Sheriyar.