TWELVE wickets fell on day one at New Road as Worcestershire were dismissed cheaply in their LV= County Championship Division Two home opener against Kent.

The County began their season with a useful rain-affected draw at Hampshire but were bowled out for 224 by Kent with Alexei Kervezee the only batsman to get past 50.

However, Worcestershire dismissed openers Sam Northeast and Rob Key after tea to leave the visitors on 39-2 in reply at the close of play.

Jack Shantry trapped Key lbw for 11 in the 11th over and then Shaaiq Choudhry rapped Northeast on the pads to leave Kent on 35-2.

They added four more runs but the momentum was with Worcestershire despite a difficult first innings when Daryl Mitchell (47) and Moeen Ali (41) were the only other batsmen to really contribute.

They won the toss and elected to bat but lost Matthew Pardoe for a duck as he was bowled lbw by former County overseas player Doug Bollinger.

Moeen rattled off 41 runs in just 37 balls, including a six off England team-mate James Tredwell that led to a replacement ball being needed.

He was then bowled by Darren Stevens and teenager Tom Kohler-Cadmore followed just two balls later lbw for a duck.

Kervezee put on 92 for the fourth wicket with Mitchell before he was caught by Tredwell off the bowling of Robbie Joseph and Mitchell also departed soon after.

The skipper nicked to wicketkeeper Sam Billings off Joseph to exit for 47 in a continuation of the good form that saw him register 172 not out in Hampshire last week.

Ben Cox was next to go for a four-ball duck and Ross Whiteley (12) followed, bowled by Bollinger, but not before he had hit Tredwell for a second six. This time, the ball was found.

Choudhry (15), Gareth Andrew (14) and Shantry (13 not out) all made useful contributions but the County will have wanted to score more on a glorious day.