McLaren has proved a useful acquisition for Kent

Ryan McLaren took seven wickets for Kent to leave Warwickshire facing the prospect of defeat at Canterbury.

The South African claimed four victims for figures of 5-24 as the visitors crumbled to 107 all out.

Kent had to wait for further success as Darren Maddy shared a stand of 107 for Warwickshire after they followed on.

But McLaren reduced them from 122-0 to 124-3 and two more wickets went down before the close despite Maddy's admirable unbeaten 115.

They finished the day on 187-5, still needing another 256 runs to avoid an innings defeat.

"The ball zipped around a little bit last night and first thing today and Kent bowled really well to put us under a lot of pressure.

"In the second innings it hasn't quite had the same sort of zip. It was a lot easier to bat if you got your head down - and I've tried to cash in," said Maddy.

He hit two sixes and 11 fours in his fourth Championship century of the summer, but they will need a lot more to escape defeat - unless the weather gives them a hand.

Beginning the day on 43-2, Warwickshire immediately lost Jonathan Trott, who was lbw on the back foot to Simon Cook for a duck.

McLaren then had night-watchman Paul Harris and Alex Loudon caught behind before bowling Jim Troughton off the inside edge and knocking out Tim Groenewald's off stump.

Tim Ambrose (13) and Naqqash Tahir (12) offered brief resistance before both fell to Darren Stevens to bring the innings to an end after just 36.3 overs.

The batting of Maddy and Westwood put the team's earlier efforts into perspective and it took a good leg-side catch by Geraint Jones to separate them as Westwood went for 47.

Trott was also caught behind to register a disappointing pair and Loudon went for nought when he edged McLaren to Andrew Hall at slip.

Maddy survived a chance to short leg on 85 and there were no more major alarms before reaching his century but spinner James Tredwell accounted for Ambrose and Gornewald to leave Kent poised for their third win of the season.