Matt Critchley’s unbeaten knock of 80, along with Feroze Khushi’s unbeaten 46 in a 106-run stand, helped Essex reach a commanding position of 327 for 4 at Stumps on day 1. On what is a typically flat Canterbury track, the Essex openers made the most of the bright and sunny conditions, getting off to a solid 101-run opening stand, with Alastair Cook doing the bulk of the scoring. Kent’s bowlers struggled to find their rhythm, or to make inroads, and conceding a massive first innings score could play a big role in them being relegated to division 2.