Worcs dominate Kent with bat and ball at New Road

South African Beyers Swanepoel took three wickets on his Worcestershire debut [Getty Images]

Rothesay County Championship, Division Two, Visit Worcestershire New Road, Worcester (day one)

Kent 196: Milnes 50*; Hannon-Dalby 3-27, Swanepoel 3-51

Worcestershire 94-1: Libby 52*

Worcestershire (3 pts) trail Kent (0 pts) by 102 runs

Match scorecard

Kent's decision to bat backfired at New Road as Worcestershire had much the better of the opening day of their County Championship Division Two tussle.

Worcestershire closed the first day on 94-1 after bowling Kent out for 196. Olly Hannon-Dalby, his loan from Warwickshire extended for another four games, bowled superbly for 18-6-27-3, building pressure which debutant Beyers Swanepoel exploited to take 3-51.

Kent's total at least represented something of a recovery from 99-7, thanks to eighth-wicket pair Matt Milnes (50 from 61 balls) and Keith Dudgeon (38 off 61).

Worcestershire completed a strong first home day of the season by reaching 94-1, with Jake Libby 52 not out, on a very good cricket wicket.

To provide such a good pitch, offering some help to the bowlers but also value to the batters when they played well, is an incredible effort by head groundsman Stephen Manfield and his team, considering that New Road was flooded six times during the winter.

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Kent's decision to bat was surprising and though England opener Zak Crawley settled well, batting watchfully, he lost two partners in the first hour.

Hannon-Dalby's opening spell of 7-3-7-1 included the wicket of Ben Compton, caught by Ethan Brookes at second slip for four, and Swanepoel struck with his 15th delivery for Worcestershire which trapped Sam Northeast lbw for three.