KENT captain David Fulton led from the front with a century as the county reached 266 for four, after 86 overs of the opening day of their Frizzell Championship match with Sussex.

The 32-year-old right-hander reached the milestone shortly after tea from 220 balls and with 13 fours to fully justify his decision to bat first in ideal conditions.

Michael Carberry was fourth man out, pushing at one from Mark Davis he edged to Tony Cottey at slip to go for 29.

Fulton had also seen Ed Smith thwarted in his quest for a second championship century of the summer when he fell for 79.

Having helped post 72 in 34 overs with Fulton, Smith - having just pulled Mushtaq Ahmed for four - played late on and was yorked next ball up to make it 173 for two.

Matthew Walker then teamed up with his former flat-mate Fulton to post Kent’s first batting bonus point at 200, but soon after Walker, on 17, edged a back-foot force off spinner Mark Davis into the gloves of keeper Matthew Prior.

The only wicket of the morning came when James Tredwell miscued an attempted pull shot against Mohammad Akram to spoon a simple catch to James Kirtley at mid-on to bring Smith to the crease.

Already without Rob Key and Geraint Jones on England duty, Kent were also forced to go into the game without overseas star Andrew Symonds, who has flown home to Australia for treatment on a persistent Achilles tendon problem.

Martin Saggers also missed out with his troublesome right knee to be replaced by experienced left-arm swing bowler Alamgir Sheriyar.

After missing out on the Twenty20 campaign, Min Patel also returned to the fold and, in Key’s absence, Tredwell was promoted to makeshift opening bat once skipper Fulton won the toss and elected to bat.

Kent: Fulton, Tredwell, Smith, Walker, Loudon, Carberry, O'Brien, Patel, Khan, Butler, Sheriyar.