KENT have set Hampshire a massive and unlikely target of scoring a further 443 in a minimum of 96 overs on the final day if they are to win this engaging LV Championship match in Canterbury.

The hosts declared their second innings at 5.40pm on Friday after posting a season's best total of 533 for eight then, after a nine over stoppage for rain and bad light, saw Hampshire reach 18 without loss in the final four overs through to stumps.

Kent's third day heroes were skipper Rob Key, who increased his overnight tally of 96 through to 120, and Darren Stevens, who hit first century of the summer from 179-balls and with 11 fours.

Sadly, overnight century-maker Martin van Jaarsveld failed to add to his second-day score of 109 after he drove airily at Chris Tremlett's third ball of the day to be caught behind.

Key went to his second century in a fortnight with a back-foot force for four through cover point off the bowling of Sean Ervine. He reached three figures in 245 minutes, from 186 balls and with 11 fours.

It was Key's 27th hundred for Kent, lifting him above Asif Iqbal and up to 17th in the all-time list of Kent century-makers. One more ton and Key will move level with his ex-skipper David Fulton and the late Bob Woolmer.

Key's fun came to an end after five hours when he went back in defence to a Dimitri Mascarenhas off-cutter that kept low to hit him flush on the pads leaving umpire Barrie Leadbeater little choice but to uphold the leg before appeal.

Stevens and Matthew Walker then teamed up to add 76 in 26 overs in an attractive stand that left Hampshire skipper Shane Warne scratching his head wondering what he might do next.

Walker was just four short of a deserved 50 when he top edged a pull to be caught in the deep then, Geraint Jones, in desperate need of runs, opened his account with a cover-driven boundary only to lose his off stump in the next over when trying to repeat the shot against Clark.

Andrew Hall came in to clip a jaunty 48 from 61 balls before offering a bat-pad catch to short leg to become Warne's sole victim of the innings at the princely sum of 142 runs.

Stevens reached three figures shortly after tea soon after losing seventh-wicket partner Yasir Arafat (19), but three balls after celebrating his ton Stevens worked across the line to Jimmy Adams to lose his middle stump.

Warne clearly thought that dismissal should have heralded Kent's declaration, but Key sent in James Tredwell to bat on with Ryan McLaren, seemingly much to Warne's annoyance.

The Aussie spin wizard made his point, not very subtlety, by spending seven minutes in bowling the 144th over of the Kent innings as McLaren and Tredwell took their partnership to 50 before their skipper finally called them in.

Hampshire were left facing a run-chase equation of 461 in a minimum of 109 overs, but a sharp shower led to the loss off nine overs and, after the re-start at 6.20pm, Kent were unable to make a breakthrough.

SCORECARD

Kent first innings

R W T Key lbw b Cook 0
J L Denly not out 115
M van Jaarsveld c Warne b Clark 12
M J Walker b Clark 14
D I Stevens c Brown b Mascarenhas 11
G O Jones c Burrows b Mascarenhas 0
A J Hall b Warne 1
Yasir Arafat c Burrows b Warne 7
R McLaren c Burrows b Clark 4
J C Tredwell b Warne 17
S J Cook c Warne b Tremlett 8
Extras 20

Total 199 all out after 58.9 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-1, 2-43, 3-55, 4-72, 5-74, 6-98, 7-110, 8-129, 9-182.

Bowling: Clark 14-1-48-, Mascarenhas 15-6-29-2, Tremlett 9.4-0-54-1, Ervine 6-3-14-0, Warne 14-2-42-3.

Hampshire first innings

M J Brown lbw b Arafat 0
J H K Adams c Jones b Arafat21
J P Crawley c van Jaarsveld b Cook 22
M J Lumb c Walker b Arafat 0
M A Carberry lbw b McLaren 7
S M Ervine lbw b Cook 22
A D Mascarenhas lbw b Arafat 90
T G Burrows run out 35
S K Warne lbw b McLaren 19
C T Tremlett not out 11
S R Clark c Walker b Arafat 14
Extras 37

Total 272 all out after 84.3 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-5, 2-52, 3-52, 4-52, 5-83, 6-85, 7-188, 8-224, 9-252.

Bowling: Arafat 21.3-4-63-5, Hall 15-3-49-0, Cook 19-4-56-2, McLaren 18-4-61-2, Tredwell 11-1-25-0.

Kent second innings

R W T Key lbw b Mascarenhas 120
J L Denly c Mascarenhas b Clark 0
M van Jaarsveld c Burrows b Tremlett 109
M J Walker c Ervine b Clark 46
D I Stevens b Adams 105
G O Jones b Clark 4
A J Hall c Browne b Warne 48
Yasir Arafat c Warne b Adams 19
R McLaren not out 25
J C Tredwell not out 27
Extras 30

Total 533 for eight declared after 149 overs.

Fall of wicket: 1-0, 2-223, 3-268, 4-344, 5-350, 6-433, 7-466, 8-438.

Bowling: Clark 28-5-80-3, Tremlett 30-4-76-1, Mascarenhas 20-3-76-1, Warne 37-2-142-1, Carberry 2-0-6-0, Ervine 20-3-95-0, Adams 11-1-37-2, Crawley 1-0-9-0.

Hampshire second innings

M J Brown not out 4
J H K Adams not out 11
Extras3

Total 18 without loss after four overs

Bowling: Arafat 2-0-8-0, Hall 1-0-2-0, Tredwell 1-0-8-0.

Bonus points: Kent 3pts, Hampshire 5pts.