KENT’s former all-rounder Peter Trego and little-known Indian leg-spinner Yoghesh Golwalkar checked Kent’s Championship title aspirations before the visitors hit back on a stunning opening day’s play against Middlesex at Lord’s.

The visitor’s moved smoothly to 50 without loss on a glorious morning in St John’s Wood until David Fulton’s dismissal to Trego, the man he fired two years previously, sparked a rash of wickets either side of lunch and tea that left Kent struggling on 198 for six.

Thankfully, Kent kept their title hopes alive with a courageous rearguard action thereafter including a record last wicket stand of 135 in 28 overs between centurion Justin Kemp and Amjad Khan that took Kent through to 384 all out.

There appeared nothing in the Lord’s pitch early on after Fulton had won the 10am toss and elected to bat first.

He and Rob Key hardly played a false shot in posting the half-century in 17 overs, but the introduction of Trego at the Nursery End changed the momentum of the innings and the day.

Trego served up an array of out-swingers, one of which pegged back his ex-skipper’s off stump then, two overs later, a similar delivery held its line to bowl Martin van Jaarseveld (0).

Matt Walker (11) followed one from Trego that drifted across the left-handers body to edge to the keeper, before an attractive stand of 92 in 19 overs between Rob Key and Darren Stevens wrestled back the initiative.

But, just six short of his fifth century this summer, Key attempted to cut one too close to the body and edged to slip after stroking 16 fours in an effortless and untroubled 208-minute stay.

Middlesex moved their locum overseas spinner Golwakar from the Pavilion End and he soon accounted for Darren Stevens (43) to a stumping and Andrew Hall (16) to a debated close catch before Kent had even posted a first batting bonus point.

Kemp and Niall O’Brien survived through to tea at 245 for six, but O’Brien (13) edged Alan Richardson’s first ball after the break to second slip to spark the loss of three wickets for four runs as Min Patel and Simon Cook went without scoring.

But Kent were not about to roll over and die and Kemp duly teamed up with Khan to post a century stand for the last wicket from only 139 balls.

With Middlesex running short on ideas and stamina, both went for their shots with Kemp raising the 350 and a fourth batting point with a pulled six into the Grandstand off Richardson.

Khan reached his first 50 of the summer from 88 balls with a straight, driven boundary off Richardson, then Kemp cover drove Jamie Dalrymple for four to post his second ton of the summer from 130 balls.

The tall South African, in his first ever appearance at the 'home' of cricket was bowled three balls later to end Kent’s courageous rally.

Their partnership beat Kent’s previous 10th wicket stand against Middlesex of 94 by Alan Brown and David Sayer at Gravesend in 1966.

SCORECARD

Kent first innings

D P Fulton b Trego 16
R W T Key c Shah b Richardson 94
M van Jaarsveld b Trego 0
M J Walker c Scott b Trego 11
D I Stevens st Scott b Golwalkar 43
J M Kemp b Dalrymple 102
A J Hall c Joyce b GolWalkar 16
N J O’Brien c Hutton b Richardson 13
M M Patel c Dalrymple b Golwalkar 0
S J Cook lbw b Richardson 0
A Khan not out 58
Extras 31

Total 384 all out after 103 overs.

Fall of wicket: 1-50, 2-56, 3-80, 4-172, 5-182, 6-198, 7-245, 8-248, 9-249.

Bowling: Richardson 27-4-90-3, Betts 20-2-74-0, Trego 20-1-88-3, Golwalkar 31-7-112-3, Dalrymple 5-0-15-0.