Having made a century in his first innings since undergoing back surgery in October Cam Green had a less successful end to his first match for Gloucestershire, albeit he was reminded of cricket's capacity for drama and tension.
Having dropped Kent centurion Ben Compton on Sunday, costing the last 30 runs of Compton's 178, and much time, Green made a 15-ball three on Monday.
However, with four batters making half-centuries Gloucestershire were able to pile up a lead of 412 before declaring on 5-333 in their second dig.
That proved to be an unnecessarily cautious declaration by fellow West Australian Cameron Bancroft as Kent slumped to 2-8 and 4-49.
Green, unable to bowl as he continues his recuperation from a back operation watched mainly from the cordon region, but found himself at a very short mid-on as Glos tried to force victory with fielders ringing the bat.
At 6-97 it looked as if they might do so, but out-of-form England opener Zak Crawley, who made a much-needed 169-minute, 112-ball 54 not out, and Australian-born Italy international Grant Stewart (16no) were able to see out the remaining eight overs.
That left Kent second in Division Two, two points behind Peter Handscomb's Leicestershire, who were frustrated by the weather in Manchester.
Handscomb's impressive 142 in Leicestershire's first innings 8-491 dec, earned only batting bonus points with Lancashire, trailing by 212 runs overnight at 3-16, closing on 3-90. Marcus Harris made an unbeaten 34.
Darren Lehmann's Northamptonshire were also forced to settle for a draw at Derby after rain wiped out the final day's play.
Tasmania's Caleb Jewell had made 71 for Derbyshire in their second innings of 3-202 overnight, which left them nine runs ahead with Northants still to bat had the weather not intervened.
In Division One veteran NSW batter Daniel Hughes maintained his fine start to the English season being stranded one short of his third half-century of the campaign when bad light ended play at Hove.
Sussex closed on 0-132 after trailing county champions Surrey by 55 on first innings.
The 36-year-old now averages more than 60 after three rounds of the County Championship in which Sussex share top billing in the embryonic table with Fergus O'Neill's Nottinghamshire.
The Victorian also spent much of Monday in the pavilion as Warwicks, 6-163 overnight, finished on 6-181 still trailing Notts by 93 runs with four wickets remaining. O'Neill was unable to add to the two wickets he took on Sunday
Elswhere, Jonny Bairstow was 86 not out as Yorkshire drew with Somerset at Taunton while Essex and, in Division Two, Middlesex gained the only wins of the round.
