Fulton prospers against wayward Somerset

David Fulton capitalised on some loose Somerset bowling to hit his third century of the season on the opening day at Taunton.

The 29-year-old opener was unbeaten on 138 when the rain, which had already caused two short interruptions, returned with a vengeance to end play an hour early.

By then Kent were comfortably placed on 312-5 off 81 overs, having scored more than half their runs in boundaries against a pace attack deprived of England's Andy Caddick and the injured Richard Johnson and Graham Rose.

The visitors chose to bat on an overcast morning after winning the toss and might have been questioning the wisdom of that decision when Robert Key was clean bowled by Steffan Jones, playing no shot, in the opening over.

But Jamie Grove could find neither line nor length at the other end and conceded 37 runs in his initial four-over spell before being replaced by Peter Trego.

Fulton and Ed Smith added 119 for the second wicket in rapid time before Smith, who had been dropped at slip on 37, played across the line to Grove and fell lbw for 48.

Daryll Cullinan then went on the attack in the afternoon session to hit ten fours in reaching his half-century off only 57 balls.

The South African looked set to mark his first Championship innings for Kent with a big score until, on 57, he surprisingly mistimed a drive off Jason Kerr, giving Grove a simple catch at mid-off.

Geraint Jones fell cheaply to off-spinner Keith Dutch on his Kent debut before Paul Nixon contributed 21 to a fifth-wicket stand of 57.

Jones had been the second batsman to depart playing no shot and Nixon followed suit to give Jones an lbw victim with the total on 283.

By then Fulton had reached a chanceless hundred, off 166 balls, with 13 fours, going on to compile the second highest score of his career with an impressive range of strokes, albeit off some very moderate bowling.