Kent take control on day one as Milnes rips through Gloucestershire at Canterbury

Kent lead by 158 runs after dismissing Gloucestershire for 229

Kent made a strong start to their promotion bid on day one of the Rothesay County Championship Division Two clash with Gloucestershire at St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury, dismissing the visitors for 229 before reaching 71-1 at stumps to trail by 158 runs.

The promotion-hopefuls, relegated from Division One in 2024 and needing 20 points to guarantee promotion, chose to bowl on a track described as so green it was difficult to see the edges of the strip.

Milnes leads Kent bowling attack

Matt Milnes struck in the second over, having Joe Phillips waft him to Sam Northeast at first slip, before Gloucestershire recovered with a 62-run stand between Ollie Price and Tom Boorman. The partnership was broken shortly before lunch by Ekansh Singh, who had Boorman caught behind for 29. Gloucestershire were 74-2 at the interval, during which Grant Stewart was presented with his county cap, becoming the 224th Kent player to receive the honour.

Matt Quinn removed Miles Hammond for 14, edging to Tawanda Muyeye at third slip, and Keith Dudgeon had Price lbw for 52. Kamran Dhariwal slashed Milnes to Muyeye for two and Daaryoush Ahmed was bowled by Khaled Ahmed for four.

Khaled Ahmed then had Sai Kishore caught behind for a duck before bowling Che Simmons for four. Matt Taylor helped push Gloucestershire to 208-8 at tea, batting with James Bracey who was later forced to use Boorman as a runner after being hit on the leg by a shy at the stumps from substitute Bertie Foreman.

Bracey and Taylor added 58 for the ninth wicket before Milnes wrapped up the innings with two wickets in four balls. He had Bracey, who top-scored with 86, caught by Northeast at gully before taking a violent return catch to remove JT Langridge for a duck. Gloucestershire were all out for 229.

Kent reply steadied by Compton and Northeast

Kent lost early impetus when Langridge had Zak Crawley lbw for one in the third over, but Ben Compton and Sam Northeast steadied the innings. Compton was unbeaten on 33 and Northeast on 27 at stumps, with Kent 71-1.

With four overs remaining and light fading, umpires instructed Gloucestershire to bowl their spinners and play was abandoned after two overs of spin.

Kent trail by 158 runs with nine wickets in hand heading into day two.