WHILE cricket was called off in most parts of the country due to summer flooding, Kent's batsmen made hay in sunny Canterbury with three centuries in a first innings total of 550 for nine declared on day two of their LV Championship with Warwickshire.

Martin van Jaarsveld (117), Geraint Jones (105) and Yasir Arafat (101 not out) made the most of a benign St Lawrence pitch and a injury-hit Bears' attack to pile on the runs before home skipper Rob Key declared at 5.40pm leaving his bowlers 17 overs to make inroads into the visiting top order.

Come stumps they had reduced the visitors to 43 for two, 358 shy of avoiding the follow on, and with both Warwickshire openers back in the pavilion.

Their skipper Darren Maddy (23) cut chancily against McLaren to pick out James Tredwell in the gully then, in the last over of the day, Ian Westwood aimed an expansive drive against Tredwell to be caught behind by Jones for 15.

The two wickets helped wrap up a sound second day that saw Kent rub salt into Warwickshire wounds.

Resuming on their overnight score of 195 for four, the hosts suffered two casualties in the morning session when van Jaarsveld went after 226 balls with 18 fours and then, just before the lunch break, Neil Dexter fell for 86 from 159 balls.

After a fifth wicket stand worth 172 in 45 overs the South African pairing were finally parted when van Jaarsveld, having posted his 31st ton of his career and third this season, edged to Darren Maddy at slip when trying to cut the ball too square off the bowling of Jonathan Trott.

Trott then bagged his second of the session, indeed his second of the season, when Dexter chipped tamely to Neil Carter at mid-wicket to go 14 short of his first century of the summer.

It was a disappointing end for Dexter who had started to play a little too freely after being tied down by the second new ball.

Kent cracked on at pace after lunch and although Andrew Hall went run out for two, he dallied allowing Jim Troughton to throw down the stumps from cover, their run rate proved impressive.

Jones reached his second ton of the summer from 149 balls and, after he chipped to mid-on, Arafat joined him in three figures for his second century for Kent from 143 balls sparking Key's late evening declaration.

SCORECARDKent first innings

J L Denly c Ambrose b Tahir 36
R W T Key c Loudon b Groenwald 25
M van Jaarsveld c Maddy b Trott 117
J C Tredwell lbw b Carter 11
D I Stevens c Ambrose b Tahir 6
N J Dexter c Carter b Trott 86
G O Jones c sub (Anyon) b Harris 105
A J Hall run out (Troughon) 2
Yasir Arafat not out 101
R McLaren b Carter 21
S J Cook not out 0
Extras 40

Total 550 for nine declared after 156 overs.

Fall of wicket: 1-49, 2-89, 3-106, 4-120, 5-292, 6-307, 7-317, 8-494, 9-543.

Bowling: Carter 30-3-110-2, Daggett 20-6-62-0, Tahir 26-5-78-2, Groenewald 21-4-81-1, Harris 29-5-95-1, Maddy 10-5-13-0, Trott 12-4-33-2, Loudon 8-0-57-0.

Warwickshire first innings

I J Westwood c Jones b Tredwell 15
D L Maddy c Tredwell b McLaren 23P L Harris not out 0
Extras 5

Total 43 for two after 13 overs.

Fall of wicket: 1-41, 2-43.

Bowling: Yasir Arafat 4-1-13-0, Hall 3-0-18-0, Cook 3-1-8-0, McLaren 3-1-3-1, Tredwell 0.3-0-01.

Bonus points: Kent 5pts Warwickshire 2pts.