Kent’s three-day friendly with New Zealand was abandoned as a draw after Wednesday’s final day was entirely washed out by rain.

In a game that lost 149 overs due to heavy showers on all three days, both sides still managed some time in the middle for batting practice.

Kent came out of it best as Rob Key and James Tredwell added an unbroken 299 for the second wicket in Kent’s 90-over total of 324 for one.

In a day of records, their Monday partnership beat the previous best for any Kent wicket against any touring side of 283 held by Frank Woolley and Wally Hardinge scored against the South African tourists in 1924.

Key’s unbeaten 178 also took him past Neil Taylor’s total of 14 tons, making him the batsman to have scored most first-class centuries at St Lawrence for Kent.

Meanwhile, Tredwell hit an unbeaten 123, his highest first-class score.

The Kiwis faced only 38.2 overs between the showers and reached 92 for one in reply with acting captain Jamie How unbeaten on 53.

Afterwards Kent skipper Rob Key said: “It was a pretty flat pitch, a decent toss to win and one of the best days in terms of weather that we’ve had here so far this season, so it was a good day to get in and make it count.

“Scoring two tons against New Zealand kick-started my season in 2004 and I managed to play some Tests after that and do pretty well against the West Indies, so I’m hoping this is a good omen.

“Sometimes you have teams you do well against as a batter and unfortunately for New Zealand they seem to cop it every time I go to the wicket against them.”

In praise of his second-wicket partner James Tredwell, who has enjoyed his promotion to the top four of the batting order of late, Key added: “We may have to start thinking of keeping ‘Tredders’ up the order.

“He got 40-odd and 50-odd in tough conditions at Hove last week and followed that with a great knock here.

“He looks a really well organised player when he bats like that and he’s well and truly taken his chance.

“In terms of his development as a player and to help his chances of getting in the England team it would be nice if we could keep him up there at three or four as a spinner who can bat well is a rare beast.

“You saw him growing in stature throughout that knock and some of the strokes he played towards the end of the day were out of the top drawer.”

The Kiwis now move on to play Essex, while Kent are next in action on Sunday when they take on Sussex in a Friends Provident Trophy tie in Hove.