Gloucestershire recover to 388-7 against Kent on day one of County Championship game at Canterbury

Kent were left to rue their decision to insert Gloucestershire on day one of their LV= Insurance County Championship Division 1 clash at Canterbury.

Having reduced the visitors to 46-3 in the first hour, Kent were made to toil for most of the day as Gloucestershire closed on 388-7.

New Zealander Glenn Phillips made 125 with support from Miles Hammond (66) and Oli Price’s career-best unbeaten 48, compiled on his 21st birthday.

Matt Milnes had taken three early wickets to halt a rapid Gloucestershire start as Kent's New Zealand seamer Jacob Duffy proved particularly expensive early on.

George Scott set the tone with a clip off his hips to the rope from Duffy's first ball, and there were already 35 runs on the board from 34 balls when Milnes had Scott trapped leg before for 27.

Milnes looked a constant threat from the Nackington Road End and five deliveries later he had James Bracey (1) caught behind by Sam Billings. Milnes (3-76) claimed his third scalp when trapping Chris Dent lbw for 11.

Gloucestershire recovered to 114-3 at lunch. Hammond, who averaged less than 26 in his 11 County Championship innings this season, brought up his half-century from 90 deliveries while Phillips followed suit from just 71 balls soon after.

Kent got the breakthrough when Grant Stewart removed Hammond to break a stand of 138 with Phillips and make it 184-4.

Phillips reached his century from 124 deliveries, which featured 13 fours and a straight six off South African spinner George Linde. Phillips and skipper Ryan Higgins added a breezy 69 for the fifth wicket to steer their side past 250 before Duffy - switching to the Nackington Road end where he tightened up significantly - claimed his first Kent scalp, getting Higgins (24) to edge to