Van Jaarsveld propels Kent

Martin van Jaarsveld's fine century carried Kent to 431 for eight at the Rose Bowl

Martin van Jaarsveld hit 133 to give Kent their maximum batting points for the first time this season as they piled the pressure on Hampshire at the Rose Bowl.

Kent captain Rob Key declared on 431 for eight and his bowlers soon had Hampshire reeling as they finished day three of the LV County Championship Division One clash on 130 for five.

A draw stills seems the most likely result as too much time has already been lost to the weather.

Play could only begin at the Rose Bowl at 12:30pm for the second successive day after two inspections by umpires John Holder and Jeremy Lloyds following heavy overnight rain.

Chris Tremlett and Shane Bond took the second new ball when play resumed but the pair were not the threat Hampshire hoped they would be.

Kent had not passed 300 in the championship in 2008 until today as they profited from wayward bowling from the Hampshire duo.

After reaching his first half-century of the season from just 59 balls, Justin Kemp pulled a short delivery from Tremlett to James Tomlinson.

Tomlinson then had centurion van Jaarsveld caught behind when the South African gloved an attempted pull.

Kent took 30 runs off the last three overs with new signing Azhar Mahmood the star with an unbeaten 42 from 46 balls and they declared when left-hander Ryan McLaren was caught behind for 13 just after lunch.

Hampshire's innings got off to a bad start when Mahmood trapped opener Michael Brown lbw for 20 in the 13th over.

Their woes increased when Jimmy Adams was out for nought after cutting McLaren straight to backward point to leave Hampshire reeling on 43 for two.

Former England batsman John Crawley was out to a poor shot to Amjad Khan's first ball for just nine.

Former Kent batsmen Michael Carberry was then trapped lbw for 32 by a yorker that struck him on the boot as Robert Joseph became the third Kent bowler to take a wicket in his first over to leave Hampshire struggling on 71 for four.

Hampshire captain Dimitri Mascarenhas steadied the ship with a battling unbeaten 30 off 39 balls.