KENT captain Rob Key scored his maiden championship hundred against Warwickshire and the 33rd of his career to move his side toward maximum batting bonus points in their rain-ruined LV Championship clash at Edgbaston today.

On the fourth and final morning of a game that lost its first two days to rain, Kent continued to dominate as they moved their overnight score on from 108 for one to 240 for one - and a slender lead in the match of 27 runs.

Hosts Warwickshire were hampered by the loss of left-arm seamer Lee Daggett through a side strain, but even so the remainder of their attack looked little short of woeful as Key and Martin van Jaarsveld scored almost at will to extend their unbroken second-wicket stand to 158 in 53 overs.

Key, dropped on 66 when Darren Maddy downed a stinging half-chance at gulley off the bowling of Heath Streak, moved to his third ton of the summer with a clip to the mid-wicket ropes off Jonathan Trott, the 18th four of his 203-ball hundred.

It gave the former England right-hander his first century against the Bears, leaving him to score centuries against Worcestershire, Sussex, Glamorgan and Derbyshire for his full set of the 17 counties.

At the other end van Jaarsveld moved to a steady, chanceless 50 from 136 balls and with six fours as Kent continued their move toward 400, maximum batting bonus points and a draw that would lift them above Surrey and out of the first division's relegation zone.

Key may consider upping the run rate after lunch and leaving his side three hours or so to bowl a dispirited Warwickshire out for a second time, but a draw remains the most likely outcome.

Scorecard:

Warwickshire first innings
D L Maddy c Jones b Saggers 8
K C Sangakkara c van Jaarsveld b Saggers 26
I J L Trott c van Jaarsveld b Arafat 10
J O Troughton lbw b Mclaren 36
A G R Loudon c van Jaarsveld b McLaren 14
T R Ambrose c van Jaarsveld b Malinga 2
L C Parker not out c van Jaarsveld b McLaren 49
H H Streak c Tredwell b Saggers 15
A Thomas not out 21
A J Shantry lbw b McLaren 0
L Daggett c Jones b van Jaarsveld 3
Extras 29

Total 213 all out after 59.5 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-31, 2-40, 3-48, 4-91, 5-94, 6-132, 7-166, 8-209, 9-209.

Bowling: Arafat 15-2-50-1, Saggers 16-2-53-3, McLaren 13-0-42-4, Malinga 8-0-45-1, Tredwell 7-1-21-0, van Jaarsveld 0.5-0-1-1.

Kent first innings

J L Denly c Loudon b Streak 31
R W T Key not out 133
M van Jaarsveld not out 63
Extras 13

Total 240 for one after 74 overs

Fall of wickets: 1-82.

Bowling: Thomas, Shantry, Daggett, Streak, Maddy, Loudon, Troughton.

Bonus points: Warwickshire 1pt, Kent 4pts.