HALF-CENTURIES from Niall O’Brien and Min Patel saved Kent from end-of-season ignominy and helped the visitors to a face-saving 257 all out on the opening day at Hove.

But for their two impish improvisers and a battling 34 from young Neil Dexter, Kent might have been skittled out for a paltry figure on a sublime day and a decent pitch that skipper David Fulton opted to use first.

By stumps in this, the county’s final four-day game of the summer, Sussex had reached 47 for two, to trail by 210 going into the second day.

It was a disastrous morning session for Kent who lost four wickets for 80 allowing Sussex to land the first blows in the battle for the £40,000 championship runner’s-up cheque.

Rob Key, a surprise inclusion considering his recent groin and shoulder problems was first to go, shuffling half-forward he fell leg before to become the first of four victims for the excellent Rana Naved.

James Kirtley also bagged four down the Cromwell Road slope, the first rather fortuitously when Martin van Jaarsveld obligingly clipped a half-volley to square-leg.

David Fulton then miscued a pull shot to mid-on and Darren Stevens, after a bright 26 full of crisp straight drives, edged an attempted run-down to the keeper.

Matt Walker’s steady innings of 34 came to an end soon after lunch when Kirtley extracted some extra bounce to feather the edge through to Prior bringing together Neil Dexter and O’Brien at 103 for five.

The 21-year-old Dexter (34) teamed up with O’Brien, just two years his senior, to add 63 in 18 overs and salvage some Kentish pride just as they had done in the last game against Nottinghamshire.

O’Brien pulled a brace of sixes and cut well, while Dexter dined almost exclusively on neat drives without fuss or flurry.

The stand ended when Dexter, in attempting to place a pull shot, only succeeded in miscuing and picking out the fielder two-thirds of the way back at long-leg.

O’Brien battled on to top-score with 61, his third half-century of the campaign, before edging to second slip soon after posting the first batting bonus point.

To their credit Kent’s tail continued to wag in the face of some excellent Sussex bowling.

Naved, with 50 championship scalps in nine starts, always presented a challenge as did Kirtley with his occasional bounce and change of pace, but it was little wrist spinner Mushtaq Ahmed who finally mopped up.

Ninth man in Min Patel scored a tenacious 50 from 61 balls, his fourth 50 of the summer, before he scooped a leading edge to mid on then, two balls later, Robbie Joseph edged to a wide slip to end the innings just after 5pm.

Buoyed by their late rally, Kent bowled accurately and fielded with spirit to claim two wickets in the remaining 23 overs of the day.

Opener Carl Hopkinson was run out attempting a fourth run by Patel’s direct hit from mid-off after a relayed throw from the ropes by Fulton then, to the next ball of the next over, Richard Montgomerie had his middle stump plucked out by Joseph.

At the start of the day the visitors rested leading wicket-taker Amjad Khan and seamer Simon Cook, allowing Joseph a season’s debut to share the new ball with Saggers.

Off-spinner James Tredwell was given his second championship run out of the season allowing Dexter retained his place in the middle order.

* MARK PENNELL'S DAILY MATCH REPORTS WILL APPEAR HERE AT THE CLOSE OF PLAY.

SCORECARD

Kent first innings

D P Fulton c Mushtaq b Kirtley 6
R W T Key lbw b Naved 8
M van Jaarsveld c Ambrose b Kirtley 11
M J Walker c Prior b Kirtley 34
D I Stevens c Prior b Naved 26
N J Dexter c Ambrose b Naved 34
N J O’Brien c Adams b Kirtley 61
J C Tredwell lbw b Naved 0
M M Patel c Wright b Mushtaq 51
M J Saggers not out 16
R H Joseph c Adams b Mushtaq 0
Extras 10

Total 257 all out off 78.4 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-16, 2-27, 3-28, 4-80, 5-103, 6-169, 7-169, 8-201, 9-257.

Bowling: Kirtley 19-5-53-4, Naved 20-0-83-4, Martin-Jenkins 7-1-25-0, Mushtaq Ahmed 27.4-5-81-2, Wright 5-0-11-0.

Sussex first innings

C D Hopkinson run out (Patel) 7
R R Montgomerie b Joseph 2
M H Yardy not out 3
T R Ambrose not out 25
Extras 0

Total 47 for two after 23 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-14, 2-14,

Bowling: Saggers 7-1-24-0, Joseph 8-3-15-1, Patel 6-2-7-0, Tredwell 2-2-0-0.