County Championship: Mohammad Amir and Sam Cook reduce Kent to 125-6

Pakistan international Mohammad Amir has said he will retire from red-ball cricket after this match

Essex reduced Kent to 125-6 on a rain-affected first day at Canterbury.

Kent's Zak Crawley, touted as a possible England opener, was dismissed by Mohammed Amir for 5 in the second over, before a lengthy delay.

Daniel Bell-Drummond hit 55 for the hosts, but Essex seamers Sam Cook and Amir each took three wickets to put the Championship leaders on top.

Darren Stevens (2 not out) and Ollie Rayner (4 not out) will resume for the hosts on day two.

After Essex did not contest the toss, Amir, playing what is expected to be the final match of his red-ball career, produced a perfect swinging delivery to beat Crawley's drive and take out the opener's off stump.

With only 9.1 overs having been bowled, the players then went off for rain at 11:44 BST, and did not return until 15:30 due to a wet playing area.

Sam Cook then helped Essex to seize control with a superb spell of line and length before tea.

Cook trapped Sean Dickson and Sam Billings lbw with near identical deliveries, before bowling Heino Kuhn with a delivery that kept a fraction low to reduce Kent to 61-4 at tea.

Bell-Drummond offered fine resistance for the hosts, bringing up a fluent half-century from 99 deliveries during a 68-run partnership with Ollie Robinson, but chopped on to his stumps while trying to cut Amir.

Amir then bowled Robinson with a superb in-swinger for his third wicket, leaving Essex well set to continue their push for the County Championship title.