Murray Goodwin and Carl Hopkinson fired half-centuries for Sussex but their rain-hit Division One match against Kent petered out into a tame draw.

Resuming on 57-1, 293 runs still behind Kent's first-innings total, Sussex lost wickets at regular intervals aside from Goodwin and Hopkinson's 106-run stand.

The duo took Sussex to 300-8 declared, denying Kent a third bowling point.

And Kent were 14-1 in reply when, after just two full days' cricket, with a loss of 169 overs, play was halted.

Still, there was enough play for Ryan McLaren to take 3-42, making the Kent seamer Division One's joint leading wicket-taker with 26 along with Charl Willoughby of Somerset.

Sussex lost their first wicket of the day - second of the innings - in the eighth over of the day when nightwatchman Ragheb Aga was caught at backward point off Yasir Arafat.

With Michael Yardy cautious at the other end, captain Chris Adams cut loose, smashing a huge six over long-on on his way to 26, before he edged Robbie Joseph to second slip.

Yardy (42) did not last much longer as, four overs later and after three hours at the crease, he was trapped lbw to the same bowler, before Matt Prior followed, the in-form wicket-keeper bowled by James Tredwell for a rare failure with the bat this season.

Sussex had lost three wickets in five overs for just 12 runs and were 136-5, but Goodwin and Hopkinson - who was dropped off Arafat on 43 - revived the innings.

The partnership ended when Joseph returned for a second spell after lunch to remove Goodwin's leg stump as the batsman attempted a big drive.

And Hopkinson was then bowled by McLaren with the new ball four deliveries old, the same bowler repeating the feat to dismiss Robin Martin-Jenkins.

Eight runs later, Sussex declared, allowing Martin-Jenkins to exact some revenge with the ball, having Kent opener Joe Denly caught behind for just eight before the captains agreed to call a halt to proceedings at 1650 BST.