Andersson 129* holds up Kent's promotion push

Derbyshire recover after Hasan Mahmud strikes with first two balls of match

Kent 11 for 1 trail Derbyshire 300 (Andersson 129*, Mahmud 4-30, Ahmed 3-73) by 289 runs

Martin Andersson held up Kent's promotion advance by leading a spirited Derbyshire fightback on the opening day of the Rothesay County Championship match in Derby.

Andersson scored his third century of the season to guide his team to respectability after Bangladesh pace bowler Hasan Mahmud took wickets with the first two balls of the game.

Mahmud bowled superbly to claim 4 for 30 but Andersson was equally impressive with an unbeaten 129 from 190 balls, sharing stands of 91 with Luis Reece (32) and 84 for the eighth wicket with Brett Randell (29).

Derbyshire's cause was also helped by 47 extras as they recovered to post 300 before Ben Aitchison removed Ben Compton to leave Kent on 11 for 1 at the close.

Kent rested leading wicket-taker Matt Milnes but Mahmud had Derbyshire reeling after the first two balls of an overcast morning. With the floodlights on, conditions looked good for bowling and Mahmud showed the qualities that brought him figures of 6 for 55 in Bangladesh's famous Test win over Australia in Darwin last month.

His first delivery lifted at Harry Came who could only edge low to first slip where Zak Crawley made no mistake. The next ball was full and moved in late, hitting Matthew Montgomery bang in front, his second first-ball duck in consecutive innings.

That would have sent shudders through the home camp following Saturday's capitulation in Bristol but Wayne Madsen negotiated the hat-trick ball and with Yousaf Bin Naeem, restored some order.

They battled through 14 overs until Mahmud's countryman Khaled Ahmed ensured it would be Kent's session by removing them both on his debut. Bin Naeem was beaten by one that came back and kept low before Madsen was squared up and struck in front to reduce the hosts to 64 for 4.Bangladesh's Hasan Mahmud struck with the first two balls of the match•Cricket Australia via Getty Images

But that was Kent's last success for 32 overs as Andersson and Reece, playing his first game for almost a month following a shoulder injury, showed the character and application the hosts desperately needed.

Andersson has been Derbyshire's stand-out batsman this season and he again rose to the occasion, standing out of his crease to counter any movement, while Reece was equally determined to frustrate the promotion-chasers.

They added 91 from 191 balls before Reece got an inside edge off Ekansh Singh and was caught behind which brought in Brooke Guest, who had failed to score in his previous three innings.

This time he reached double figures before Mahmud again found late movement to trap him lbw and when Ben Aitchison was beaten by Bertie Foreman's offspin, Derbyshire were back in trouble at 172 for 7.

But Randell offered more dogged support to shepherd Andersson to a richly deserved hundred which came off 159 balls, contained 11 fours, and was applauded by the Kent players.

A batting point was secured before Randell pulled Foreman to deep midwicket and Jack Morley played on to Ahmed to give Kent a third bowling point. Andersson banked a second point before Mahmud returned to pin Shoaib Bashir lbw but when Compton cut Aitchison to point, the day had turned around in Derbyshire's favour.