Kent trio tame Warks

Martin van Jaarsveld flicks the ball to fine leg on his way to 117 for Kent © Getty Images

Three Kent centurions helped the hosts to rack up 550 for nine against Warwickshire in their LV County Championship Division One match at Canterbury.

Martin van Jaarsveld’s 117 came at the expense of the county he plundered for a century in each innings on his Kent debut in 2005; Geraint Jones’ 105 confirmed a return to form for the wicket-keeper, and Yasir Arafat’s unbeaten 101 rubbed the Bears’ noses in it.

In 14 overs up to stumps, Warwickshire stumbled to 43 for two but should still have feasible prospects of saving the match on this true and easy-paced pitch.

Van Jaarsveld began day two by converting his hard-working 67 into three figures as batting conditions eased from Friday’s graft.

There were 18 fours for the South African number three from 226 deliveries, and his fifth-wicket ally Neil Dexter (86) weighed in handsomely too in a stand of 172 - before Jones posted his 149-ball hundred as he and Arafat kept up the momentum in a record partnership of 177.

With Kent’s eighth-wicket best therefore in the bag, the tail held out long enough for Arafat to post his second championship hundred of the season - with 11 fours from 144 balls.

Dexter had this morning gone to his 50 when he accepted a gift of a full-toss from Alex Loudon to smash his only six over mid-wicket.

Loudon’s off-spin and Paul Harris’ slow left arm marked time in tandem until the second new ball was due - and when it was Van Jaarsveld immediately cover-drove Neil Carter for four.

Three overs later, Van Jaarsveld struck his compatriot for another off-driven boundary to bring up his 10th Kent century.

The mainstay departed, however, when occasional medium-pacer Jonathan Trott struck with only the fourth delivery of a new spell - van Jaarsveld edging a cut at one which bounced more than expected to be caught head high at first slip.

Geraint Jones enjoys applause for his century © Getty Images

Dexter was joined by Jones and continued to time the ball impressively until he fell just before lunch - again to Trott, who previously had no wickets in the championship this season.

On the ground where he took a career-best seven for 39 four years ago, Trott stopped Dexter short of what would have been a third first-class hundred - disappointingly chipping one off his pads straight into the hands of mid-wicket.

Kent’s progress regained its fluency in the afternoon sunshine, thanks largely to Jones - who perhaps owed his team something substantial after playing a significant part in Andrew Hall’s run out.

The all-rounder had made just two when Jones called him through for a dicey single to cover, and Jim Troughton’s direct hit meant Hall had to keep running to the pavilion.

If there was a debt, Jones repaid it with interest as he and Arafat’s stand topped 100 at better than four-an-over.

Sensible accumulation up to and just beyond the 400 gave way to more carefree shot-making once the 130-over cut-off meant Warwickshire could no longer nick the final bowling point.

Arafat had one slice of luck when he was put down on 56 at long-on where Naqaash Tahir should have held a routine outfield catch off Loudon.

Jones reached his hundred just before tea, with a reverse-sweep past mid-wicket off Harris for his 15th four.

He fell in early evening, failing to beat mid-on with an attempted hit over the top off Harris, but Kent ploughed on until their Pakistani pace bowler had made it a hat-trick of tons.

There was enough time left too to make some inroads into the Warwickshire innings.

Captain Darren Maddy went to an uppish square drive at Ryan McLaren, and his opening partner Ian Westwood edged behind trying to cut what therefore became the last ball of the day from off-spinner James Tredwell.