THREE century stands put Kent into pole position on a dramatic opening day of their top-versus bottom championship clash with Northamptonshire in Canterbury.

Batting first in seemingly ideal conditions a flat St Lawrence pitch, Kent cantered to 393 for three before a dramatic last hour led to four dismissals and a brace of retirements through injury, leaving the hosts on 409 for seven by stumps.

The match started brightly for skipper David Fulton when he won the toss and elected to bat against the division’s basement bowling attack.

Fulton and Key duly posted 118 for the first wicket, with both players reaching their 50s in the 25th over of the day.

Fulton, who notched his 1000th first-class run for the summer, had reached 57 when he steered a leg-cutter to second slip to go after almost two hours at the crease and having hit seven fours.

Key then teamed up with Ed Smith to add a stylish 142 for the second wicket in 26 overs before both gave up their own wickets.

Smith, on 70 from 88-balls, steered a loose ball from Ben Phillips to backward point then, three overs later Key holed out to long off against Graeme Swann after scoring his fifth championship ton this summer.

That bought together Matthew Walker and Alex Loudon, who notched the third century stand of the day inside 29 overs.

Loudon had scored just one when David Sales dropped a sharp slip chance off Phillips, but he went on to score 60 from 130-balls before Northants made amends.

In tandem with Walker (63), Loudon helped takes the score on to 393 before the Old Etonian top-edged a pull shot to slip.

Walker reached his sedate half-century from 87 balls and saw his side through to their fifth bonus batting point at 400 before he nibbled a good ball from Louw to slip.

With the new ball in his hands South African Louw was proving quite a handful as Kent found to their cost.

Matt Dennington was forced to retire hurt on one after a blow on the gloves and four balls later Niall O’Brien was struck above the right eye and forced him to retire with 10 to his name.

He then trapped Amjad Khan leg before for three while former Kent seamer Phillips bowled Min Patel without scoring to take the gloss off Kent’s day.

Dennington (dislocated finger) and O’Brien (gashed head) were duly taken to Kent and Canterbury Hospital for treatment and both may struggle to play much part in day two.