WORCESTERSHIRE slid to 211 all out after being asked to bat first on the opening day at promotion rivals Kent in Specsavers County Championship Division Two.

England Lions batsman Joe Clarke top-scored with 69 for the visitors, who lasted 73.1 overs before Kent replied with 55-0 by the close.

Sam Billings became only the second Kent wicketkeeper to take seven catches in an innings and paceman Mitch Claydon also starred as the hosts dominated at Canterbury.

In the hour and 20 minutes through to stumps, home openers Daniel Bell-Drummond (30 not out) and Sean Dickson (19no) suffered few alarms.

After a noon start, permitted under ECB regulations following Kent's final Royal London Cup group game at Hove on Tuesday night, the hosts elected to bowl first on winning the toss.

County openers Daryl Mitchell and George Rhodes were given a stern examination by Kent's new-ball pair of Matt Coles and Darren Stevens, who conceded only one run off the bat in the first seven overs.

Rhodes, stepping in as opener for the injured Brett D'Oliveira, finally got under way after 43 minutes and 27 balls when he nudged a single off Stevens through backward point off a thick outside edge.

Mitchell (16) became the only casualty of the morning session when he followed a Coles leg-cutter to edge behind as a combative first session ended with the visitors on 63-1.

Kent bossed the after-lunch session by claiming six wickets with four of them during Claydon's 20-ball purple patch of 4-9.

The County lost Tom Fell (34), Rhodes (16), Tom Kohler-Cadmore (3), Ross Whiteley (6) and Ben Cox (5).

Having added six to his lunchtime score, Fell was squared up on the back foot by Coles to be caught behind.

Rhodes' 160-minute stay ended when he pushed at one from Claydon to also edge behind.

Billings claimed his fourth catch when Kohler-Cadmore gloved an attempted hook shot against a Claydon bouncer.

Ten runs on, left-handed Whiteley drove hard at Claydon only to be caught in the gulley by Will Gidman two-handed and diving away to his left.

Claydon then enticed Cox into a rash shot outside off that resulted in a fifth catch for Billings.

The keeper made it six when Joe Leach (16) nicked a push-drive against Gidman but Clarke lightened the County gloom by raising his 81-ball half-century with seven fours.

After the tea interval, Ed Barnard (25) gave off-spinner James Tredwell the charge to lose middle stump.

Then Kyle Abbott drove hard at Claydon to be caught behind.

Claydon's 5-42 was his best championship performance since joining from Durham in 2013.

Billings matched Steve Marsh, previously the only Kent keeper to have taken seven or more catches in an innings.

Tredwell wrapped the innings up, having Clarke caught at slip for a top-scoring 69 from 124 balls faced.