Northamptonshire's hopes of playing first division Championship cricket next season improved considerably with a commanding first day performance over Kent in Canterbury.

The relegation-threatened visitors took advantage of slightly damp conditions and some rash Kent batting to dismiss the hosts inside two hours for 108 - Kent's lowest total of the summer.

By then, ECB pitch liaison officer Raman Subba Row had reported he would be taking no action over the condition of the pitch and, as if to confirm his views, Northamptonshire went on to reach 173 for three when bad light brought a premature close.

Jeff Cook (50) and Alec Swann (61) ensured the visitors continued to hold sway, despite the loss of the Championship's leading run-scorer Michael Hussey in only the sixth over of the reply.

Hussey went soon after the lunch break, leg before to Ben Trott, but Swann and Cook then joined forces to add 91 for the second wicket in 31 overs.

Swann reached his 50 first from 105 balls and with 10 fours, Cook joining him at the milestone off the next ball of the 36th over of the reply from 95 balls and with nine boundaries.

Cook perished in the next over, however, when he edged an expansive drive against Martin Saggers to edge into the gloves of Paul Nixon to make it 112 for two.

Swann went leg before shortly before the close to a Mark Ealham off-cutter, but with a lead of 65, Northamptonshire's players had good reason to be pleased with their opening day's work - none more so than John Blain.

Blain had earlier claimed career-best figures of six for 42 and Paul Taylor three for 58 to dismiss the hosts inside two hours after they had elected to bat first on a bright first morning.

Only Andrew Symonds (23) and tenth-wicket partners Min Patel (32) and Ben Trott (11) made it into double figures on a day Kent's batsmen will want to forget.

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