Azhar Mohmood hammered his maiden championship century for Kent on his club debut and just did enough to help his new county avoid a three-day defeat in their LV Championship opener against Nottinghamshire.

Bad light hampered Friday's final session and led to three stoppages and when Mahmood finally holed out to deep square-leg for 116, a Kent defeat seemed inevitable, especially with Yasir Arafat absent injured.

The visitors were awarded an extra half an hour to try and win it and although Graeme Swann removed Ryan McLaren (24) to a bat-pad catch to end the Kent innings on 293, the light was too poor to allow Nottinghamshire to knock off the 22 runs they need for victory.

Batting in five layers of clothing to stave off the bitter wind, the former Pakistan and Surrey all-rounder teamed up with Martin van Jaarsveld (79) to add 138 inside 30 overs for Kent's sixth wicket as the hosts all but wiped out their first innings arrears.

Mahmood, the first Kent player to score a championship ton on debut since Van Jaarsveld in 2005, hit 14 fours in his 126-ball hundred, reaching three figures with a swept six over mid-wicket off Graeme Swann, the third six of his stay.

Van Jaarsveld's stay came to an end just before tea when he holed out in the deep off Darren Pattinson, but the light worsened after the interval leading to a loss of 12 overs.

Play resumed at 5.25pm and within moments James Tredwell fell for six to a fourth catch by Read after the left-hander had tried, at the last minute, to withdraw the bat against Charlie Shreck. Within 20 minutes, the light had worsened again leading to a further eight-over break, after which Mahmood's three-hour vigil ended for 116.

In attempting to sweep Swann for another six, he miscued to pick out Charlie Shreck on the ropes at deep square-leg then McLaren was caught by Samit Patel at short leg.

Mahmood's innings and the century stand with van Jaarsveld helped Kent save face after a horrendous first session in which they lost five wickets.

After a 10 minute delay for bad light, the hosts resumed on 14-0, still trailing by 258 on first innings, yet it soon became clear that Kent's top order didn't fancy the challenge of batting throughout a bone-numbingly cold day simply to make the visitors bat again.

Skipper Rob Key (3) was first to go, pushing at Darren Pattinson's sixth ball of the day from the Nackington Road end he edged a catch to keeper Chris Read.

Joe Denly moved quickly to 27 but he too went to a catch by Read off Charlie Shreck.

Matt Walker (6) went in similar fashion after fencing at a ball from Pattinson that reared up then Darren Stevens (7) edged Paul Franks to Will Jefferson at second slip.

Kent's demise continued when Geraint Jones flashed outside off stump against Franks, the ball was parried by Read but again Jefferson was on hand to scoop up the rebound at second slip.

Weather permitting, the game will conclude on Saturday.