IN bygone days the faithful queued along Old Dover Road to watch the touring cricket team of the summer, but the only traffic jam at St Lawrence yesterday was the one to get out.

The fact that New Zealand reached 297 for two at the close was as meaningless as the cricket itself as the Kiwis set out to bat time rather than provide entertainment.

On a flat Canterbury pitch and against a Kent attack shorn of its spearhead bowlers Martin Saggers and Mohammad Sami, the tourists ought to have filled their boots in style.

Instead, and with on eye on next week’s first Test at Lord’s, they opted for quantity of time at the crease rather than quality.

Kent did their cause no good by twice dropping top-scorer Michael Papps when on 23 and 34, then Nathan Astle just three balls into his innings.

Rookie paceman David Stiff struggled for rhythm in only his third first-class game sending down 20 no balls, but at least he took the only two wickets to fall.

Rob Ferley at second slip was the first man to grass a chance off Papps in the 18th over of the day then, five overs later Fulton diving high and to his right at slipped, downed an altogether tougher chance.

The scoring rate remained at around three an over for much of the day as right-hander Papps, and left-handed Richardson idled their way to an opening stand of 244.

Papps reached his century in a shade under four hours by pulling a four to the square-leg ropes off Alamgir Sheriyar, to get to the landmark off 207 balls and with 15 boundaries.

His vigil ended when, with his score on 124, his penchant for working across the line caused his down fall to a full delivery from Stiff.

Four overs later the six feet six inch Stiff ended Richardson’s five-hour stay for 92 when he fooled the left-hander with a slower ball.

Believing it to be a beamer, Richardson half turned away only for the yorker-length ball to dip and knock over off stump.

Two balls and a no ball later, Stiff ran one across Astle to find an open bat-face, only for Matt Walker to down another chance at second slip.

Astle made Kent pay by cantering to 32 by the close and spectators can only hope that he, together with Scott Styris (14), will provide better batting fair on day two.