Kent were heavily punished for a miscalculation with the toss as Warwickshire amassed 367-3 on the opening day of their LV=Insurance County Championship Division 1 match at Edgbaston.
Sam Billings chose to field after winning the toss and Rob Yates and Sam Hain punished that decision with centuries - Yates hitting 128 off 217 balls with Hain unbeaten at stumps on 124 from 235 balls.
Billings' call appeared a curious decision on a pitch which looked firm and true and so it proved, as Yates and Hain added 166 for the third wicket before Dan Mousley brought late impetus with a sparkling unbeaten 72 (from 78 balls).
Kent's seam attack, already missing the injured Nathan Gilchrist and Grant Stewart, was further hampered when Matt Quinn limped off just 22 balls into his new-ball spell.