It's pretty soggy here I'm afraid. I've just had a word with the umpires and the groundsmen, who are the best informed men in the business when it comes to local weather forecasts, and they say we will be lucky to get any play today, although there might be a window for an hour or so after lunch. There were heavy showers this morning and there is more meaningful rain forecast for this afternoon which could wipe out the cricket for the rest of the day.
There was consolation for Kent captain Robert Key this morning, however, when he was named to lead the England Lions against New Zealand at the Rose Bowl next month. "Robert Key enjoyed an excellent season for Kent last year, was recently named in the England Performance Squad and he will bring his experience of leading his county to the captain's role," said national selector Geoff Miller.
There are some long-toothed lions in the England team. Matthew Hoggard, 31, who took eight for 97 in his first championship appearance of the season against Hampshire at Headingley last week, will also get an outing before his expected Test recall at Lord's on May 15.
"Matthew Hoggard was left out of the last two Test matches in New Zealand but he is a fighter and he will not want to give up his England place easily," Miller added. There is also a recall for discarded wicketkeeper-batsman Matthew Prior.
Key is 178 not out overnight here and was going to bat on, with Kent 324 for one and James Tredwell unbeaten on 124 at the other end. But Kent are likely to declare now. If play ever starts that is. There will be more here if it does.
4pm They finally got under way here at 2.30. They didn't take an early lunch, just the normal one at 1, because they calculated that play couldn't start any sooner than 2.
The weather forecast here is still dire for this afternoon. But you can never be sure at Canterbury. Of all the grounds I've been to in this country it is the St Lawrence Ground and the County Ground at Chelmsford, in the extreme east as they are, that most often confound even expert weather forecasters.
As anticipated, Kent declared at their overnight total of 324 for one. New Zealand made a solid start until Aaron Redmond, on 11, was dropped at second slip by Matthew Walker off the bowling of Martin Saggers.
The score was 23 then but Redmond did not make the most of his reprieve. He had scored only three more when he waved his bat at Ryan McLaren's first ball - he had replaced Saggers at the pavilion end - and Geraint Jones took the catch behind the wicket. New Zealand are 50-1 after 21 overs.
