Groenewald charge halted by Coles

Derbyshire's seam attack again delivered to keep the Division Two leaders on track for promotion before Kent's tail fought back on the opening day at Derby. Tim Groenewald claimed 3 for 41 in 19 overs while Tony Palladino and Mark Turner struck twice as Kent fell to to 238 for 8 after they had been put in on a green pitch.

Sam Northeast made his fifth consecutive half-century and Michael Powell scored 45 but too many Kent batsmen got themselves out before an unbroken ninth wicket stand of 64 between Matt Coles, 51 not out, and Mark Davies earned the visitors a batting point.

Rain wiped 26 overs from the day's allocation although the skies were clear when Derbyshire won the toss and gave their bowlers first use of a pitch that had pace and bounce. Kent began well and reached 37 before skipper Rob Key aimed a firm-footed waft at Palladino and was caught at first slip. Northeast continued his recent prolific run by hitting nine fours in his fifty but Ben Harmison again struggled and made only five in 11 overs before he edged Turner to third slip.

Northeast was dismissed in the next over when Jon Clare produced a good delivery that knocked back the opener's off-stump and although Brendan Nash was put down on 13, he made only two more before a loose drive at Palladino was taken at gully to make it Derbyshire's morning.

Powell and Darren Stevens were starting to rebuild the innings until Stevens was bowled trying to drive Groenewald and although rain held up play for 50 minutes, Kent quickly lost their sixth wicket when the game resumed.

Geraint Jones carved Groenewald to point just before another rain break which kept the players off the field until 4.45pm but Derbyshire quickly made another breakthrough when Groenewald beat James Tredwell with one that moved late to clip the top of off-stump. When Powell lost concentration and was caught behind driving wildly at Turner, Kent were 174 for 8 but Coles and Davies dug in to take their side past 200.

Coles greeted the left-arm spin of David Wainwright by pulling him over midwicket for six and he gave the same treatment to Turner for another maximum before a cut brought him his fifth four and a deserved half-century off 74 balls.

With Davies, he played out the last 16 overs of an extended day to put Kent back in the game and keep Derbyshire waiting for a third bowling point.