Gloucestershire v Kent: day one

KENT captain David Fulton was a third-ball casualty when play finally got underway against Gloucestershire in a bright and breezy, yet distinctly damp Bristol on Wednesday.

Heavy overnight rain on Tuesday lead to the loss of 72 overs and delayed the start until 4.30pm, but Fulton lasted all of three minutes as England A seamer Jonathan Lewis struck in his first over from the Pavilion End.

Having just pushed a couple through mid-off Fulton, in trying to repeat the shot, edged low to Tim Hancock at second slip to make it two for one after the visitors were invited to bat.

In-form Martin van Jaarsveld came in to join England bat Rob Key, but both players found the going tough against Lewis and his new-ball partner Steve Kirby.

The fiery red-headed Kirby, formerly with Yorkshire and Leicestershire, engaged in a war of words with both Kent batsmen after beating the outside edge without success.

Indeed, the ball was so firmly on top against the bat that it took Key 23 balls and 34 minutes to get underway with a clipped four off the cursing Kirby.

To make matters worse, van Jaarsveld (2) fell in the 11th over nicking a back-foot defensive shot to Hancock, again at second slip that made it 20 for two.

Kirby switched ends to clatter Matt Walker’s helmet with a short one, but the Kent left-hander continued after treatment from county physiotherapist Martyn Sigley.

Kirby, completely unperturbed at injuring the Kent batter marched off to his fielding position on the boundary, leaving Walker to join forces with Key to see their side through to the close without further alarm.

By then Walker had reached 22 and Key and unbeaten 26 to take their side into day two on 66 for two.

Kent made one change to the side that drew with champions Warwickshire last week, bringing in Martin Saggers for his first four-day game in nine months at the expense of Simon Cusden.

Team: Key,Fulton, Van Jaarsveld,Walker, Stevens, Jones, Dennington, Cook, Patel, Khan, Saggers.