Kent (278) lead Surrey (88-1) by 190 runs after day one of County Championship Division 1 clash at The Oval

Kent picked up only their third bonus batting point of the season thanks to a spirited last-wicket partnership at champions Surrey on Thursday in LV= Insurance County Championship Division 1.

All-rounder Joey Evison and Michael Hogan put on 82 in 14 overs to help Kent muster 278 all out after they had earlier slipped from 71-2 to 118-7 with another characteristic mid-order collapse.

Evison hit two sixes and nine fours in an eye-catching 77 not out from 106 balls while Hogan - who turns 42 in less than a fortnight – produced a defiant 48-ball knock of 43.

After opting to bowl first on a well-grassed surface, Surrey’s Dan Worrall made the initial breakthrough by swinging one enough to clip the top of Ben Compton’s off-stump when the left-hander, Kent’s leading run-scorer so far this summer, shouldered arms to go for four.

Zak Crawley hit a couple of boundaries off his legs and had reached 19 when he was surprised by Jordan Clark’s bounce and edged to third slip, where Will Jacks took a sharp chest-high catch falling to his left.

Tawanda Muyeye had also started well and reached 22 when Gus Atkinson found a thin edge through to Ben Foakes with his sixth ball.

Kent were soon 80-4, skipper Sam Billings’ woes with the bat continuing as he drove loosely at Tom Lawes to depart for a nine-ball duck. The visitors were in deep trouble when Jack Leaning’s 28 ended two balls after lunch - Jacks again catching well at third slip.

Clark soon claimed his third wicket when Jordan Cox was bowled through the gate for 18, and Worrall’s post-lunch spell brought him Grant Stewart’s scalp, leg-before for nine to a delivery that, for once, did not swing away from the right-hander.

Wes Agar’s 31 helped lead Kent’s recovery, adding 74 in 16 overs