Kent strengthened their chances of securing their opening win of the LV= County Championship summer by removing Glamorgan’s dependable leader Jacques Rudolph in the closing moments of the third day’s play in Canterbury.

Push-driving at a Matt Coles off-cutter, the South African left-hander inside-edged the ball onto his leg stump to go for 14 and leave his side with a mountain to climb as they chase 404 for victory on the final day.

Glamorgan went in at stumps on 36 for one after 11 overs, with opener James Kettleborough on 16 and night watchman Dean Cosker still there with a single. They will require a further 372 to record their first win of the campaign.

Kent batted the majority of day three in order to post their second 300-plus score of the match and leave the Welsh 11 remaining overs on Tuesday, coupled with a minimum 96 on the final, to pursue their first victory of the season at an asking rate of 3.7 per over.

Resuming on their overnight score of one without loss, Kent suffered the early loss of first-innings century-maker Daniel Bell-Drummond (1), leg before to a Michael Hogan off-cutter.

The hosts laid solid foundations thereafter through opening bat Joe Denly and night watchman James Tredwell, who both hit half-centuries in a second-wicket stand of 114.

Denly’s 112-ball stay ended for 66 when he shouldered arms only to have his stumps rearranged by Graham Wagg, leaving Tredwell to reach a 124-ball 50 with six fours. It was the England left-hander’s first championship 50 for Kent since the clash with Leicestershire here in May 2012.

His vigil ended when he drove the first of a new spell by Hogan into the hands of short extra cover, a dismissal the sparked the loss of two more wickets before. Sam Northeast (0) was bowled playing across the line of a Hogan yorker, then Brendan Nash (45) skied an attempted pull to the keeper to leave the hosts on 228 for five at the interval.

Soon after the resumption Darren Stevens (10) edged a leg glance into the gloves of Mark Wallace, but Kent pressed on through youngsters Sam Billings and Fabian Cowdrey, the latter reaching his maiden championship half-century from 63 balls with seven fours and a six.

He departed after holing out to Kettleborough at ‘cow corner’ then Billings ran down the track to Cosker only to clip a firm catch to mid-wicket and depart for 37.

Matt Coles and Calum Haggett perished in the quest for quick runs, leaving Kent all out by 5.34pm and Glamorgan’s Aussie paceman Hogan with four for 65 and match figures of nine for 136.