Only 11 overs were possible on the final day as Kent's Specsavers County Championship Division 2 game against Northamptonshire ended in a tame draw at Wantage Road.

Heavy morning rain cleared up to allow play to start at 2.40pm but bad light brought an early tea and rain prevented any play in the final session.

Kent had reached 131-2 in their second innings, giving them a lead of 29 with Daniel Bell-Drummond unbeaten on 69.

Joe Denly's superb maiden double century had provided the highlight of the opening three days as Kent totalled 396 after Sam Northeast had chosen to bat.

He came in at 15-1 following the run out of Tom Latham and finished day one on 126 not out having offered just one chance - when Monty Panesar spilled a return catch with the Kent No.3 on 26.

The 30-year-old right-hander batted in total for more than seven hours, facing 315 balls from which he hit 25 boundaries and two sixes, and raced from 177 to 206 in the space of just 2.3 overs.

It was his 18th First-Class century, the third since he returned to Kent from Middlesex and eclipsed his previous career-best of 199, made against Derbyshire at Derby in 2011.

Opener Bell-Drummond (47) and skipper Sam Norheast (49) were the next two top scorers, the latter falling caught and bowled to Panesar, who marked his Northants return with figures of 3-122 from 40 overs.

Darren Stevens struck an early blow by removing Ben Duckett (7) with the score at eight, but Kent's bowlers were then held up by second wicket pair Jake Libby (81) and Alex Wakely (87), who added 156 to help their home side to 206-3 at the close of day two.

Mitch Claydon removed Richard Levi the following morning for 23 with the score at 224 and debutant Imran Qayyum claimed his first victim when he had Josh Cobb (40) caught at slip by Stevens at 283.

When Matt Hunn bowled Rob Keogh for nine to make it 310-6 Kent harboured hopes of a small first-innings advantage but the home tail wagged impressively,led by Adam Rossington, who made 78 from 69 balls with nine fours and three sixes.

He and Rory Kleinveldt added 70 for the seventh wicket with Kleinveldt then joining forces with Ollie Stone to further frustrate Kent with by adding 50 for the eighth wicket.

Qayyum removed Azharullah with the score at 449 but even then Kent were held up as Stone and last man Panesar - dropped in the slips on nought - shared a record 10th wicket stand for Northants against Kent by adding 49.

Qayyum eventually had Stone caught for 60 to finish with figures of 3-158 from 41.2 overs.

Claydon took 2-79, Hunn 2-80 and Calum Haggett 2-105.

Kent lost Tom Latham (24) in reaching 88-1 at stumps and began the final day still 14 runs behind.

Both teams took 11 points.