County Championship: Tons for Daniel Bell-Drummond & Joe Denly as Kent draw with Somerset

Kent captain Daniel Bell-Drummond made the 17th century of his first-class career

Joe Denly and captain Daniel Bell-Drummond both hit centuries as Kent survived a mid-morning scare to earn a draw with Somerset in their County Championship Division One opener at Canterbury.

Having turned round 119 behind on first innings after Somerset batted on to reach 403, Kent were in trouble on 10-2 and again at 68-3.

But Denly joined Bell-Drummond to put on a stand of 222 for the fourth wicket to take the sting out of the contest.

Denly beat his partner to three figures, posting 110 from 142 balls, including 11 fours and a six - the 32nd century of his first-class career.

Bell-Drummond hit only 14 fours in his more measured unbeaten 107 from 169 balls.

• County Championship: day four as it happened

Earlier, Kasey Aldridge, on 50 overnight, drove the first ball of the day for four before he was brilliantly caught at mid-wicket by Jack Leaning off Nathan Gilchrist.

Bell-Drummond ran out Ned Leonard for one and the innings was wrapped up when Somerset new boy Jake Ball played on to Gilchrist, who finished with 3-64.

With a minimum 87 overs to navigate, Kent lost openers Ben Compton and Tawanda Muyeye in the first five.

Bell-Drummond and Leaning (32) first steadied the ship with a stand of 58.

But Leaning perished in the second over after lunch, bowled by Lewis Goldsworthy before Denly came in to help Bell-Drummond wipe out the deficit.

Denly clearly felt attack was the best form of defence, racing to 50 from 53 balls, before getting to his century after tea with arguably his worst shot of the day, an edge for two off Goldsworthy that flew over the slips.

Bell-Drummond's ton soon followed when he hit Goldsworthy back over his head for four. But Denly was then out in the final over when he edged Goldsworthy before Kent declared at 16:50 BST to end the contest.

Report supplied by ECB Reporters' Network.