MIDDLESEX lost two wickets after lunch as Kent fought back on the opening day of four in Southgate.

After electing to bat first, Middlesex made a steady start through their left-handed openers and built on that to reach 247 for four after 67 overs.

Debutant Rob Joseph was first to strike, swinging the ball in, he forced Sven Koenig (31) to chop onto his stumps as he attempted to force a shot off the back foot.

Kent used four bowlers in the opening 90 minutes, but Kiwi Ian Butler again suffered no ball troubles conceding three in his first three overs.

Butler returned for a second stint at the Waterfall Road End to removed Nick Compton three overs before lunch to make it 109 for two.

Compton, fencing at a lifting delivery, gloved a catch to wicketkeeper Niall O'Brien to go for just two.

Hutton cracked 18 boundaries, many of them straight, in reaching his third century of the summer from 163 balls but, to the next delivery from Min Patel, he gave a bat-pad, leg-side catch to wicketkeeper Niall O’Brien to go for exactly 100.

The most attractive innings came from Owais Shah, who lofted Patel for two straight sixes on his way to a stylish 60 from 100 balls.

The innings ended when Shah partially ducked a Ben Trott full-toss, possibly believing it to be a beamer, only to see the ball dip and clip the top of off stump.