Daniel Bell-Drummond hit a fluent 129 as Kent enjoyed their best day of the season in the Rothesay County Championship, posting 352 against Derbyshire at Canterbury.

The visitors were 24 without loss at stumps.

The Kent captain hit 23 fours and a six, and enjoyed a stand of 126 with Chris Benjamin, who made 56.

Derbyshire’s Rory Haydon took five for 82, but having put Kent in, it was a disappointing day for the visitors, who bowled too loosely after reducing Kent to 93 for four. England’s Shoaib Bashir bowled nine overs for 29 without taking a wicket, while Zak Crawley made an entertaining 44 but still hasn’t made a half-century this season.

Kent started well, despite losing Ben Dawkins, in for the injured Ben Compton, when he was caught and bowled by Haydon for six.

Crawley had looked in decent touch, producing some punishing cover drives before he was bowled middle stump, trying to drive Martin Andersson.

It was still looking like Kent’s session until Ben Aitchison took a wicket with his first ball, getting Sam Northeast caught by Caleb Jewell at second slip for 28.

Zak Chappell then strangled Tawanda Muyeye for nine, leaving Kent on 99 for four at lunch.

Ekansh Singh and Bell-Drummond made a bright start to the afternoon session with a stand worth 54.

That was broken when Haydon had the former lbw for 20 and Bell-Drummond then narrowly survived when he was on 41. A Haydon delivery hit his hand and he just managed to paddle it clear before it hit the stumps.

He cashed in with some style and swept Aitchison to backward square to reach three figures – 12 years after he made his last century against Derbyshire, at this venue.

The Kent balcony erupted with joy and Benjamin, Kent’s most consistent batter this season, then took a single from the same bowler to reach 50, leaving Kent on 265 for 5 at tea.

Haydon had Benjamin lbw soon after, however, while Bell-Drummond finally went when he cut Andersson to Chappell.

Joey Evison pulled Chappell for a six that pinged off a rail in the top deck of the Les Ames Pavilion, but he was out for 21 when he slashed Aitchison to Andersson at backward point and Keith Dudgeon bludgeoned a quick 13 before he edged Haydon to first slip, where Wayne Madsen held on to a chance that was travelling at high speed – for his 400th catch in all formats.*

A crowd of nearly 1200 cheered when Jas Singh hit the single that gave Kent a third bonus point, but the innings was wrapped up when Haydon sent Singh’s off stump flying to bring up his maiden five-wicket haul.

Jewell narrowly avoided playing on to Milnes during a tricky five-over spell before stumps, but the visitors’ gamble on not using a night-watcher paid off, with Harry Came and Jewell on 16 and eight not out respectively.

Kent’s Daniel Bell-Drummond said: “It was good fun, good to get a big score and hopefully it’s put us in a good position to bowl well tomorrow at them. I’m happy all round, really happy with the position we’re in and happy with how I played.

“When there’s a few difficult results you want to get things right and the guys have been working really hard. There’s some quality players in that dressing room so we know it’s going to turn around for us.

“I always want to lead from the front. It’s not been the most straightforward start personally and obviously a very tricky start for the team as well (but) I was in good form and felt in a good rhythm. I just wanted to cash in and keep the pressure on the derby bowlers.

“It’s not been a straightforward start but hopefully things can turn around. The Canterbury public played their part as well. They turned out in force today.

“Chris Benjamin has started the season brilliantly coming into the team and yeah, he’s been so consistent throughout pre-season coming into the championship season. He adds a lot of steel. It’s great that he got 50 odd today and no doubt he’ll keep wanting to get bigger scores as well.

“It’s pretty evenly poised. We’re very happy we’ve got a score after being put in, we’ve got some good players and we’ve got to hit the ground running tomorrow and make sure we start well and try and make use of the conditions as much as possible.”

Derbyshire’s Rory Haydon said: “The boys started well today. We got four in the first session when we elected to bowl, but with the partnership in the second session, we had a word as a group at tea about trying to get that rate controlled.

“We knew that if we went bang, bang, then it creates pressure and thankfully that happened. We managed to bowl them out today and put a bit of a dent in tonight.

“I try and keep it as simple as possible, just try and hit top of off. That’s the instructions from gaffer (Micky Arthur) and that’s what I try and do. I think we knew that we were going to bowl if we won the toss.”

On replacing Mo Abbas (and being called The Stoke Abbas): “He’s got 800 career wickets, he knows what he’s doing. If I can learn anything off him and try and be half the bowler that he is, I’m sure I’ll go OK. (The nickname), it’s more of an inside joke. I think the gaffer has been saying that since we announced the signing of Abass, that that’s what he wants me to do: be that kind of bowler for the team. Thankfully, I could contribute today.”

* Stats by Derbyshire’s Heritage Officer David Griffin.