COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION TWO, Tunbridge Wells:
Kent v Essex
16 - 19 June 2009 (Play begins 1100 BST)
CLOSE OF PLAY, DAY ONE: Essex 280 Kent 4-2 (Essex 2 pts, Kent 3pts)

Napier did not play in any of England's ICC World Twenty20 games

Graham Napier returned to county duty with an unbeaten 64 as Essex recovered on day one at Tunbridge Wells after being plunged into trouble by Kent.

Essex captain Mark Pettini (55) and Matt Walker (41) began the fightback after the visitors slumped to 18-3.

Napier, an unused member of England's ICC World Twenty20 squad, then got to work before Ryan McLaren (4-80) mopped up the tail to dismiss Essex for 280.

And he had time to trap Rob Key lbw first ball as Kent closed on 4-2.

Joe Denly was also out leg before to David Masters as Essex ended the day on a high.

It did not seem as if it was going to be their day given the poor start they made.

England paceman Amjad Khan announced his return from knee surgery by making the initial breakthrough as Jason Gallian chopped on to his own stumps.

606: DEBATE Give your reaction to Napier's performance for Essex

Robbie Joseph then trapped Alistair Cook leg before with one that nipped back, before removing Varun Chopra's off stump.

Pettini and Walker, facing his former county, added 82 for the fourth wicket before Walker was adjudged lbw playing across the line to Simon Cook.

Pettini swiftly followed, edging Justin Kemp to second slip, while James Foster hit 36 before going leg before soon after tea to a James Tredwell top-spinner.

That brought Napier to the crease and he added 57 with Ryan ten Doeschate (40) for the seventh wicket, before going on to make 64 off only 68 balls, including two sixes and seven fours, as McLaren took out the tail one by one with the second new ball.

But if that was not enough to give the England selectors a taste of what they had missed out on, Napier struck with his first ball to dismiss Key only moments after Masters had removed Denly with the fourth ball of Kent's reply.

Matt Walker told BBC Essex:

"The boys fought back well today. We had an 'iffy' start and it was a bit of a struggle.

"But we fought hard, set our stall out to bat and be patient and I think we would have taken 280 from where we were at the start of the day.

"To then nick a couple of wickets at the end of the day was a real bonus."

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