Kent took just one wicket during the 42 overs of play on day one against Essex at Canterbury.

A truncated opening day, with play curtailed by rain, saw Essex reach 164-1 in the LV= Insurance County Championship. Tom Westley was unbeaten on 71 and Nick Browne made 54 before the rain intervened.

Kent debutant Wes Agar took the only wicket to fall when he had Sir Alastair Cook caught behind, leaving him with figures of 1-39. The players initially came off for bad light during the afternoon session and heavy rain subsequently saw play officially abandoned at 5pm.

Essex dominated what little action there was. After winning the toss,they chose to bat and hit 17 boundaries before they scored their first single.

Kent’s sole breakthrough came when Cook, who’d made a rapid 39 from just 30 balls, edged Agar behind to Sam Billings. By claiming the former England captain’s scalp, Agar reportedly won a bet with his brother Ashton, whose first wicket for Australia came as a 19-year-old when he dismissed Cook during the 2013 Ashes test at Trent Bridge.

It was the only bright moment for Kent during an otherwise one-sided session that saw Essex reach 121-1 at lunch. Westley drove the second ball of the afternoon session, from Conor McKerr, through point to reach his half-century and Browne passed the same landmark with an elegant cover drive off Nathan Gilchrist.

The visitors had cantered to 159-1 when bad light halted play at 2.19pm. There was an-eight minute resumption before rain started to fall and with no realistic prospect of conditions improving, the umpires called a halt for the day.

Kent opted to leave Joe Denly out of their XI, with spinner Hamid Qadri featuring for the first time this season although he only bowled one over on day one.

Agar said: “It was definitely special (to get his first wicket). Alastair Cook’s a great player and renowned worldwide.

“He’s someone I certainly look up to on the field, he has a presence and I was lucky enough to get him out.

“Unfortunately not before he’d done some damage to the scoreboard, but it was pleasing nonetheless.

“I think he was Ashton’s first test match wicket so it was cool to share that bond, but obviously there’s a lot more work to do in the coming days.”