A trio of half-centuries helped Kent to the verge of Northamptonshire's first innings score on day two at Canterbury.

Kent closed on 287-5, just 16 runs behind Northants' 303 all out in their LV= Insurance County Championship Division 1 clash.

Joe Denly and Jack Leaning both made 63 while Jordan Cox also reached that tally as he remained unbeaten at the close alongside skipper Sam Billings.

Denly said: “We’re in a pretty strong position, obviously tomorrow morning’s going to be big for us if we can get through that opening period with the two set batters. Hopefully they can kick on and we can put them under pressure in the second innings.

“It was nice to get some partnerships going, but it would have been nice to kick on and make them even bigger. Myself and Jack getting to 50 and then getting out was disappointing.

"On a fairly decent wicket you’d like to captialise on those starts, but we’ve got two quality batters at the crease in Jordan Cox and Sam Billings, so hopefully there’s a big score from one or both of them.

“When you lose the toss, to bowl a team out for 300 on a good batting wicket was a fantastic effort. Now the challenge is to go on and bat big, get a lead and put their batters under pressure.”

Any hopes that Zak Crawley might find some form after his struggles with England were dashed in the fourth over when he was out for just five, chipping Jack White (2-40) to Luke Procter at mid-wicket.

Daniel Bell-Drummond had looked comfortable, but when he nicked Jimmy Neesham to Emilio Gay at second slip for 17 Kent were wobbling on 30-2.

Jack White had the visitors’ best bowling figures with two for 40.

Ben Compton and Denly responded with a stand of 91 for the third wicket. It was a partnership of contrasting styles, Denly was nearly out first ball but his shot just eluded mid-wicket while Compton took 85 minutes to reach double figures.

Kent were 74-2 at lunch, after which Denly looked significantly happier. He reached his half-century by cracking successive Neesham deliveries for four and six, although he later took a blow to the head in the same over from the New Zealand all-rounder.

Compton went first, caught at first slip by Neesham for 34 after edging White, but Denly followed soon after, clipping Procter straight to Gay at mid-wicket, leaving Kent on 136-4.

Leaning and Cox took the hosts to 181-4 at tea, after which the latter survived a strong run out appeal following a direct hit from Ryan Rickelton.

Leaning passed his half-century when he pulled Rob Keogh for four to the deep mid-wicket boundary but after completing their century stand he fell to the new ball when he was caught behind off Ben Sanderson.

Although the wicket temporarily slowed the scoring rate, Cox reached his half-century and Billings played some elegant shots on his way to an unbeaten 24 at stumps, the duo completing the day's third fifty-partnership in the final over.