County Championship: Essex in command against Kent after first day

Essex paceman Sam Cook ran through Kent's top order

Alastair Cook notched the 123rd half-century of his glittering career as he steered title-chasing Essex into a commanding position on the first day of their County Championship match against Kent.

Cook, still there at the close on 64, was joined in an unbeaten first-wicket stand of 106 by Nick Browne, who was painstakingly attempting to rebuild his flagging form after a run of three successive ducks, with 31 from 117 balls.

Earlier, Kent elected to bat on a green-tinged wicket under heavy grey clouds that necessitated the use of floodlights after an hour. Their innings lasted just short of two sessions for 207 as the lower order threw away their wickets.

Only a sedate 58-run fourth-wicket partnership between Ben Compton (47) and captain Jack Leaning interrupted a regular clatter of wickets with nagging seamers Sam Cook and Jamie Porter sharing six of them equally.

Twanda Muyeye survived a decent chance to Matt Critchley at third slip before he was beaten for pace to present Sam Cook with the first of three wickets for 19 in 11 overs.

Next ball Joe Denly's miserable season continued when he played down the wrong line and was caught behind for his fourth duck of the campaign, and eighth in 10 in single figures.

To compound Kent's problems, Harry Finch faced 15 deliveries without scoring when he set off for a non-existent single to gully where Paul Walter swooped and hit the stump.

Compton and Leaning settled in for a stand that needed 17 overs to put on fifty, despite Compton hitting Doug Bracewell for three successive boundaries.

However, to the last ball before lunch Compton attempted to dig out a fuller delivery from Simon Harmer and only succeeded in chipping it straight back.

Leaning followed soon after the break when he got a thick edge to one from Sam Cook and wicketkeeper Adam Rossington took a fine diving catch to his right before Joey Evison went shouldering arms to one that came back late from Bracewell.

Grant Stewart smashed Harmer for two straight sixes in a brisk stand of 43 with Jordan Cox before Porter found a peach of a ball to remove Cox.

Porter then set a short-ball trap for Stewart who was caught hooking on the boundary, Matt Quinn skied rashly to midwicket and Arshdeep Singh swept Critchley for a huge six and wafted lazily at the next ball and was stumped.

When Essex replied in the evening session, Cook slipped into imperious mode after a watchful start, showing an array of shots around the wicket in depositing Stewart for three successive fours, but he was put down, a sharp chance in the gully, before passing fifty for the fifth time this season.

Essex will be reinforced with the inclusion of Dan Lawrence, who returns south from being England's spare man at Old Trafford to replace Robin Das.

Report supplied by ECB Reporters' Network.