County Championship: Glenn Phillips' century puts Gloucestershire in command against Kent

Gloucestershire's Glenn Phillips hit 15 fours and one six on the way to a century

Glenn Phillips' century helped Gloucestershire seize the initiative on day one against Kent as the bottom two teams in County Championship Division One faced off at Canterbury.

The rock-bottom visitors recovered from being put in and reduced to 46-3 to reach stumps on 388-7 and eyeing maximum batting points for just the second time this summer.

They were indebted largely to an imperious 125 from Phillips, on his maiden first-class appearance of the summer, with able support in the form of a half-century from Miles Hammond and Oli Price's career-best unbeaten 48, compiled on his 21st birthday.

On a warm day, Kent won the toss and raised a few eyebrows when they elected to bowl first, but they were soon in charge, with Matt Milnes claiming three early wickets.

The visitors raced out of the blocks, tucking into some loose bowling, in particular from Kent's new signing, New Zealand seamer Jacob Duffy.

On a day when his side hit 56 boundaries, George Scott set the tone with a clip off his hips to the rope from the very first ball and there were already 35 runs on the board from 34 balls when Milnes had Scott trapped lbw for 27.

But, making the most of the early conditions, Milnes looked a constant threat thundering in from the Nackington Road End and five deliveries later he had James Bracey (one) caught behind by Sam Billings, making his first red-ball appearance since the Ashes Test in Hobart in January.

Milnes claimed his third scalp when he had Chris Dent lbw for 11 to leave the visitors teetering on 46-3.

Hammond and Phillips steadied the ship, guiding Gloucestershire to 114-3 at lunch, and after the interval they brought up three figures for the fourth wicket from only 154 deliveries.

Hammond brought up his half-century from 90 deliveries, while Phillips followed suit from just 71 balls soon after.

Kent got the breakthrough they were desperately seeking when Grant Stewart got Hammond to feather one to Billings for an eye-catching 66, featuring 12 fours, ending a stand of 138 with Phillips and making it 184-4.

Phillips was unperturbed and reached his seventh first-class century from 124 deliveries, which featured 13 fours and a superb straight six off South African spinner George Linde.

The 25-year-old had made only 109 runs across six first-class innings with Gloucestershire last summer but blew past that number in style.

He and skipper Ryan Higgins added a breezy 69 for the fifth wicket to steer their side past 250 before Duffy, switching to the Nackington Road end where he tightened up significantly, claimed his first Kent scalp, getting Higgins (24) to edge to Billings, who had missed the chance to stump him moments earlier.

Oli Price helped the score on to 288-5 before Phillips eventually holed out to his tumbling countryman Duffy off the bowling of Stewart for 125.

Tom Price joined his younger brother in the middle and the runs continued to flow until Tom mistimed a pull to Jack Leaning in the deep for a brisk 39 to end a 62-run partnership and give Duffy his second scalp.

Zafar Gohar finished unbeaten on 24 after sharing an unbroken 38 for the eighth wicket with Oli Price.

Report supplied by the ECB Reporters' Network.