County Championship: Elgar & Critchley hit Essex centuiries against Kent

Dean Elgar joined Essex on a three-year deal after retiring from Test cricket

Dean Elgar produced a masterclass of calm assurance in compiling a first century for Essex while helping to steer his new employers to a dominant position in their County Championship match against Kent.

The former South Africa captain, who has replaced the retired Sir Alastair Cook at the top of the order, made 120 while Matt Critchley was unbeaten on 103 at stumps with Essex having amassed 421-6 on day one.

In front of a bumper crowd of 2,226, surpassing anything recorded in the Championship at Chelmsford last season, Elgar put on 159 for the third wicket with fellow newcomer Jordan Cox (67) before adding 89 for the fourth with Critchley.

Critchley in turn shared stands of 58 with Paul Walter and 80 with Michael Pepper as Kent had a day of toil under bright April skies.

• County Championship: day one as it happened

Elgar and former Kent batter Cox repaired the initial damage after Essex lost Feroze Khushi and captain Tom Westley in the first four overs after electing to bat on a slow, batting-friendly pitch.

Cox did not make a mis-step until he had reached 59 when he hooked Nathan Gilchrist to the fine leg boundary where Wes Agar, running in, spilled the chance.

Cox responded by carving Agar through the covers for another boundary in the next over, but departed lbw soon after when misjudging a straight ball from George Garrett.

Elgar was next to fall, finally dismissed after almost four hours at the crease when he chipped Matt Parkinson tamely to short square leg.

That left Essex on 258-4 but the run fest continued through Critchley and Walter, who had struck two sixes in his 33 before becoming Parkinson's second wicket of the day when he picked out the long-off boundary fielder.

Pepper immediately clicked into white-ball made, scoring 49 from 42 balls before upper-cutting Gilchrist to deep third man, but Essex remained on top with Critchley recording the eighth century of his career.

Opener Dean Elgar told BBC Essex Sport:

"I play the game to perform and am pleased to get some early runs but it's a real team effort."

"You are aware the kookaburra ball gets softer after about 10 or 12 overs and especially here at Chelmsford where the wicket is a bit lower and a bit more flat you can score runs.

"If you get in you can maximise scoring opportunities. We played low risk cricket out there and still scored at nearly four and a half an over.

"We now have to capitalise on the start we have made."

Report supplied by ECB Reporters' Network.