Jordan Cox scores century as Kent recover to 301 all out against Surrey (18-2) on day one of County Championship at Canterbury

Jordan Cox’s 133 rescued Kent following another batting collapse on day one of their LV= Insurance County Championship match with Surrey on Sunday.

Kent collapsed from 34 without loss to 41-5 at Canterbury but Cox’s ton plus half-centuries from Joey Evison and Wes Agar rescued their first innings tally to 301 all out.

Club captain Sam Billings left himself out of the XI after a torrid start to the red-ball summer, which has seen him average less than 10 in the County Championship to date.

Kent chose to bat in front of a festival week crowd and eased through 11 overs, only to lose four wickets for a single run in 13 balls.

Both openers fell to slip catches off Sean Abbott in the 12th over. Ben Compton went for nine, edging the first delivery to Will Jacks at third, and Tawanda Muyeye hit four boundaries in his 21, before nudging the final ball to Dom Sibley at first.

The next three batsmen all made ducks. Daniel Bell-Drummond was lbw to Jordan Clark and at the start of the 14th over, Abbott (4-52) bowled the returning Joe Denly with a ball that nipped back.

Cox survived the hat-trick ball but it was 41-5 in the 17th over when Clark had Jack Leaning, who took over as captain from Billings, caught behind.

Evison helped Kent recover to 80-5 but things nearly got worse for Kent when Cox – on 33 – edged Abbott, but Ben Foakes dropped a simple chance.

Evison completed his half-century by hooking the same bowler to the boundary and looked well set until he edged Dan Moriarty to Foakes, departing for 58 with the partnership worth 121.

Foakes then took a smart catch off Gus Atkinson to remove Hamid Qadri for five, flinging himself to the leg side, before Atkinson sent Matt Quinn’s leg stump flying for 10.

Kent were on 211-8 at