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Kent openers cash in at Edgbaston

ED SMITH: Raced to 72 before rain intervened. Picture: ADY KERRY
ED SMITH: Raced to 72 before rain intervened. Picture: ADY KERRY

KENT openers Ed Smith and David Fulton continued Kent’s day-two domination of this Frizzell Championship match with Warwickshire in Birmingham.

Responding to the hosts 457 all out, Kent raced to 135 without loss after 25 overs with Smith unbeaten on 72 from 62 balls and Fulton on 59 not out after 88 balls.

The pair posted 100 within 17 overs by taking full toll of some wayward Warwickshire bowling to post Kent's maiden first-innings century opening stand of the season.

Smith, first to his 50 from 43 balls with 10 fours, was followed by Fulton who reached the landmark with a trademark clip over the slips from his 78th ball, but also with 10 boundaries.

The fun came to an end at 3.30pm when rain, thunder and lightning forced the players off for an early tea and made chances of a re-start unlikely.

Earlier, Kent enjoyed an excellent fight back with the ball, taking six wickets in the morning session.

Resuming on their first day total of 338 for four, Warwickshire lost their last six wickets for 118 inside 24 overs.

Ian Butler, with Kent-best figures of four for 114 started the resurrection as the Birmingham pitch started to show signs of ware.

All-rounder Dougie Brown was first to go without adding to his overnight score of 49, edging an attempted drive to David Fulton, who claimed the first of three slip catches at the second attempt to end a fifth-wicket stand of 105 in 35 overs.

Butler took the new ball at the start of his next over from the Pavilion End, and struck again in the 98th over by removing Michael Powell just four short of a third successive century against Kent. Pushing at a lifting delivery Powell again picked out Fulton to end his 203-ball stay.

In the very next over, former Zimbabwe skipper Heath Streak (2) went back instead of forward to one from Rob Joseph that kept slightly low to rip out middle stump and make it 397 for seven.

Ben Trott finally got in on the act by having Tim Frost (25) caught at third man by Joseph after his upper-cut over the slips, then Matt Dennington claimed his first wicket by having Neil Carter (0) snaffled at slip.

Aussie Brad Hogg duly reached a 49-ball half-century with seven fours and reached 63 before holing out to Ed Smith at long-off against the spin of Min Patel.

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