Malinga Bandara returned season's best figures of four for 42 to help Kent edge first-day proceedings in their LV= County Championship Division One relegation dogfight with Hampshire at Canterbury.

The Sri Lanka wrist-spinner, who up until Monday had taken only 10 championship wickets for the county at an overall cost of 604 runs, helped run through the Hampshire tail and dismiss the visitors for 204 in the space of 82 overs.

Kent made a miserable start to their reply, losing Sam Northeast for a third-ball duck, but went in at stumps on 15 for one with Rob Key and Joe Denly both unbeaten on seven.

Northeast, having endured luckless spells at No5 and No3 in the Kent batting order, opened the innings at his own behest but went with only a run on the board after dragging a Dominic Cork off-cutter onto his own stumps.

The day started with Cork calling the toss correctly and taking first use of a sporting pitch that seamed and took spin as early as the first session.

With seven previously selected new-ball bowlers out of contention for one reason or another, Kent captain Rob Key was forced to rely on rookie seamer Matt Coles and the military medium pace of Darren Stevens to share the new ball.

Neither man let Key or Kent down as Hampshire limped through to lunch at 68 for three at a scoring rate of barely two an over.

Stevens, who bowled 15 overs on the trot in the first session, made the first breakthrough after 81 minutes when he had former team-mate Michael Carberry caught behind.

Spin then came into the equation before lunch when James Tredwell got one to lift and leave left-hander Phil Hughes to have the Australian caught at slip then, to the last ball before lunch, Bandara got one to dip and turn away from Liam Dawson for the second of four catches for Martin van Jaarsveld at slip.

Kent kept plugging away in the middle session to bag three more Hampshire wickets for minimal cost.

James Vince (36) contributed to his own demise by slashing at a wide one from Coles, Sean Ervine (11) then clipped to mid-wicket to see Northeast claim a fine catch to his right and Michael Bates (one) worked across the line to be bowled by Simon Cook.

Kent polished off the job within 15 overs after tea and with Bandara to the fore. Cork (20) missed one slogging to leg to go lbw then top-scorer Jimmy Adams, having occupied the crease for 222 balls for his 84, under-edged an attempted sweep against Tredwell onto his boot and saw it loop up into the gloves of Jones.

Bandara then doubled his tally having Chris Wood (eight) caught at slip and pinning last man Danny Briggs leg before.