Ben Slater’s century helped put Nottinghamshire in a strong position after the opening day of their crucial County Championship Division One encounter against Kent at Canterbury.
The away side finished on 393/6 after Slater struck 22 boundaries on his way to 160 having shared a 196-run first-wicket stand with captain Haseeb Hameed (56).
Jack Haynes contributed with a well-made 62 as the Green and Golds claimed three batting bonus points on a day where Kent won the toss and elected to bowl.
The morning session belonged to the visitors as openers Hameed and Slater asserted themselves over the hosts’ bowling attack from the off.
Despite the overcast conditions and initial movement, Slater was the early aggressor and opened his boundary account with a well-timed cover drive off the bowling of Akeem Jordan.
The Chesterfield-born batter continued to profit whilst Jordan had the ball in hand, adding four more fours, including a domineering cut through point, as the pair raced to a 50-run partnership from 57 balls.
With Slater providing the impetus, Hameed was afforded the opportunity to be more watchful during his innings, yet still crashed Nathan Gilchrist away to the fence.
A guided drive through the offside brought up Slater’s fifty, off 49 balls.
The hundred-run stand between the duo arrived after 19.5 overs when Hameed powerfully drove George Garrett for four.
Meanwhile, Slater continued finding the rope with ease as he helped himself to a series of boundaries through point and cover off Gilchrist, as Nottinghamshire posted 134/0 at lunch.
As the opening stand passed 150 after the interval, Slater reached a fine individual century thanks to yet another offside boundary off Gilchrist – one of 18 fours in his 109-ball knock.
Hameed joined his teammate in going past 50 as he guided Jordan for four through the slips with the score on 182.
The partnership was finally broken in the 45th over as Joey Evison snuck one through Hameed’s defences when on 56, with Nottinghamshire on 196.
Freddie McCann struck a beautiful straight drive during his brief innings of eight before edging to Jack Leaning at second slip off Gilchrist.
That brought Joe Clarke – a centurion at Canterbury last season – to the middle who looked sprightly as he clipped Gilchrist through mid-wicket to the rope.
But his innings came to an end when he pulled Garrett straight to Gilchrist at deep-backward square leg with the Green and Golds on 247.
The first batting point was achieved soon after as Jack Haynes went about building his innings with a pair of fours - a drive through extra cover and a clip through the legside – off spinner Matt Parkinson.
Slater knocked Leaning into the offside to go past 150 before sweeping Parkinson to the boundary to bring up the fifty partnership between himself and Haynes.
Having helped Nottinghamshire past 300, Slater’s 217-ball stint at the crease was finally ended after he edged Leaning to Tawanda Muyeye at first slip for 160.
He left the field to a richly deserved standing ovation from his teammates atop the pavilion balcony.
Haynes became the third man to pass fifty – a 79-ball innings which included four fours – whilst partnered with Lyndon James as the pair put on 60 for the fifth wicket.
James settled into his innings early on, as demonstrated by a beautifully timed clip through mid-wicket and a drive to the mid-on boundary.
The pair both fell before stumps however, as Haynes departed for 62 and James for 34 as both batters edged to the slips.
Luke Fletcher and Dane Schadendorf were there at the close, unbeaten on 10 and eight respectively, as Nottinghamshire finished on 393/6.
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