A patient, unbroken opening partnership of 281 between Robert Key and David Fulton frustrated Hampshire as Kent played out for a draw at Canterbury.

Having declared their first innings on 554-7, a lead of 269 runs, the visitors hoped to bowl out their counterparts on the final day for a valuable victory.

But Key and Fulton were in the most dogged of moods to survive the day.

Fulton scored his 134 from 310 balls and Key 136 from 312 as the pair batted a total of 366 minutes to earn a draw.

Hampshire skipper Shane Warne's frustration was embodied late in the day when he asked wicket-keeper Nic Pothas to bowl with the second new ball still dressed in his pads.

That the 32-year-old Pothas ended with figures of 0-12 from six overs of gentle medium pace only went to highlight Key and Fulton's refusal to take risks.

Pothas was one of 10 bowlers employed by Warne, whose figures were 32-13-54-0, and the Australian's huffing and puffing went a long way to displaying his dissatisfaction.

With both batsman padding at every ball outside leg stump and leaving wide or short deliveries, Warne's mood was not helped when Key was dropped on 98 by John Crawley.