THERE were contrasting seasonal debuts for Kent on the opening day of their Frizzell Championship clash with Division 1 leaders Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.

By stumps, Kent had reached a battling 301 all out having just edged to a third batting bonus point courtesy of a last wicket stand worth 20 between Amjad Khan (19) and Martin Saggers (12).

A grey and breezy day in the East Midlands ensured there was something for all the bowlers in terms of swing and seam movement, but if the batsmen worked hard enough there were runs to be had.

Kent welcomed in Andrew Hall, fresh from South Africa’s tour of the Caribbean for his county debut, and dropped Durban-born all-rounder Matt Dennington to accommodate him.

Wicketkeeper Niall O’Brian also came in for his 2005 bow in place of Geraint Jones who has teamed up with England’s Test squad.

The hosts, without injured seamers Greg Smith, Paul Franks, Andrew Harris and Charlie Shreck resorted to the loan system to bring in six feet five inch Lancashire rookie Oliver Newby to make up the numbers.

The strapping Newby was soon in action and impressed when sharing the new ball with Ryan Sidebottom after home skipper Jason Gallian won the toss and elected to field.

Indeed Newby had the first big appeal of the day in his third over when a shout for caught behind against David Fulton (3) was turned down by umpire Peter Willey.

Fulton was also dropped at second slip when on 47, all of which allowed he and Key to post 81 for the first wicket in 27 overs before Sidebottom claimed the first of his five for 61 haul by having Key caught at second slip off a lifter.

Fulton went to his fourth championship 50 of the term from 97 balls, but soon lost martin van Jaarsveld without scoring when he was caught behind off Sidebottom having been dropped at second slip two balls earlier.

But Kent went on to lose five wickets in the mid-session and were yet again guilty of not turning good starts into match-winning innings.

Fulton (57) edged a brute of a leg-cutter to the keeper then Walker (50) played across a Newby yorker to go leg before.

Hall’s debut lasted two balls when he hooked in attempting to get off the mark only to pick out Gallian on the ropes at long leg.

Stevens again looked in good form in reaching 33, but then played across an in-ducker from former Kent star Mark Ealham to go leg before.

Just before tea Simon Cook (0) went in the first over of spin of the day, bowled through the gate by Samit Patel.

At 208 for seven at tea a second batting bonus point seemed unlikely, but O’Brien teamed up with Min Patel to add a bright 68 for the eighth wicket in 25 overs.

O’Brien cracked eight fours in his 83-ball half-century in his first innings of the summer, a feat that will not have been lost on England’s Jones who took 13 innings in all cricket before reaching the milestone this season.

Patel gave him good company in scoring 22, but the second new ball did for both as O’Brien edged to counterpart Read as did Patel off a big Ealham in-swinger.

There was still some wag in the Kent tail however, and Khan’s impish 19 ensured the visitors surpassed 300.

SCOREBOARD

Kent first innings

D P Fulton c Read b Sidebottom 57

RWT Key c Hussey b Sidebottom 32

M van Jaarsveld c Read b Sidebottom 0

M J Walker lbw b Newby 50

D I Stevens lbw b Ealham 33

A Hall c Gallian b Newby 0

N O’Brien c Read b Sidebottom 64

S J Cook b Patel 0

M M Patel c Read b Ealham 22

A Khan c Fleming b Sidebottom 19

M J Saggers not out 12

Extras 11

Total 301 all out after 102.2 overs

Fall of wickets: 1-81, 2-85, 3-126, 4-159, 5-167, 6-189, 7-192

Bowling: Sidebottom 27.2-9-61-5, Newby 20-6-79-2, Ealham 24-5-69-2, Clough 17-2-45-0, Patel 14-2-37-1.