Martin van Jaarsveld hit an unbeaten half-century to lead Kent towards a decent score against Warwickshire after a rain-hit day at Canterbury.

The morning session was washed out, but the skies cleared after lunch and Kent captain Robert Key decided to bat.

Key (25) was the first to fall and Joe Denly (36), James Tredwell (11) and Darren Stevens (six) all soon followed.

But Van Jaarsveld ploughed on and struck 11 fours in his 150-ball 67, aided by Neil Dexter (37 not out).

"It's really important to get runs when you play at your home ground...you know exactly what conditions will be like and you are accustomed to them. When you go away, you might be on a dogy wicket or a turner," van Jaarsveld commented.

His innings continued an excellent record against Warwickshire, with began with two hundreds in his debut appearance for the club.

"Most guys on the circuit will say they do pretty well against certain teams. I've done pretty well against Warwickshire and the moment you go out against them, you go back into that space - knowing you've been successful before," he said.