Kent make excellent start against reigning champions

A magnificent unbroken opening stand of 176 between David Fulton and Robert Key, gave Kent the perfect start on the first day of the CricInfo Championship. The two batsmen dominated the Surrey attack which consisted of seven bowlers, all of them with Test experience.

On a bitterly cold day which was severely disrupted by showers - causing a loss of 45 overs - Surrey's bowling was made to look quite innocuous.

Having decided to bat first on a slightly greenish pitch, both Fulton and Key looked comfortable in scoring briskly, bringing up the fifty at a run a minute. It wasn't until the double bowling change took place that either batsman was seriously tested.

Fulton, who had earlier hit Alex Tudor for a six and a four off consecutive balls, was fortunate not to edge one behind that came in sharply from Ed Giddins, making his championship debut for Surrey.

In his previous over, Giddins beat Key, on 22, with successive deliveries, moving the ball away and then bringing the next ball into him. Apart from this, there was little else in the Surrey bowling to cause alarm to either batman who played entertaining strokes with confidence as the innings progressed.

It was good to see the two batsmen time the ball so well at the very start of the season in their drives and cuts in particular. They seemed to keep pace with each other in their rate of scoring.

There was, however, one confident appeal later in the day, which was turned down, with Key on 70, for a catch behind off Martin Bicknell. At stumps, Key was on 88 and Fulton on 86.