Adam Rouse said he was just pleased to have spent time in the middle after his Championship debut for Kent.

The 23-year-old – making his Specsavers County Championship bow for his new side – made 38 and shared a stand of 107 for the sixth-wicket in 26.1 overs on the opening afternoon to steer Kent towards respectability at Leicestershire.

Rouse made just one in his Kent First Class debut in the pre-season game against Loughborough and was frustrated when the opening Division 2 game at Worcester was washed-out without a ball being bowled.

Rouse said: “It was just nice to get out there and play.

“The boys had been looking forward to getting out there and playing but due to the nature of the start to the season, it took a while. I wasn’t expecting to be batting just after lunch on the first day but it was nice to get out there and get us into a reasonable position.

“I’ve played with and against Deebz in the past and he is different class and a calming influence out there.”

The wicket-keeper batsman – filling in for Sam Billings on IPL duty with the Delhi Daredevils – is good friends with Sean Dickson, who was dismissed in unusual circumstances early on, handling the ball.

Rouse claimed he knew the rules regarding the infringement but: “I don’t think I’d have gone up as aggressively as (Leicestershire keeper) Niall O’Brien did, certainly. There’s a fine line between the spirit of the game and the law of cricket.

“Sean will get over it though – you have to try and laugh about it.”