A late triple strike from Yorkshire’s England representatives improved their chances of picking up a third straight LV= County Championship win for the first time since 1995.

On the day the ECB confirmed that Ajmal Shahzad and Tim Bresnan could play a full part in this contest against Kent, they both claimed wickets within the last half hour to put the Tykes in control by the close.

First it was Shahzad to confirm his importance to the side when, with 12 overs left, he removed Darren Stevens for 92.

Then Bresnan ousted James Tredwell (32) and Azhar Mahmood (21) with the last ball of the day to leave the hosts 313 for nine at the end of day one at Canterbury.

“I thought they both bowled fantastically,” said Yorkshire director of cricket Martyn Moxon.

“Seven wickets between them is a super effort and it has tipped a topsy-turvy day our way.”

The pace duo’s late heroics certainly made sure good work earlier on was not wasted.

By the midway point of the opening day, the Tykes attack had reduced Kent to 131 for five to make the hosts’ decision to bat after winning the toss look ill-judged.

That soon became 195 for six when Shahzad struck to remove James Hockley (14), before Stevens and Tredwell came together to haul Rob Key’s side back into the match.

They engineered a seventh-wicket partnership of 89 until the first of the late wickets wrote another chapter into an entertaining first day’s play at the St Lawrence Ground.

Kent were 284 for six at this stage but Stevens, just eight short of his century, edged to Anthony McGrath off Shahzad and the key breakthrough had been made.

Then came Bresnan with his two wickets, finishing with season-best figures of four for 52, and the pendulum had definitely swung Yorkshire’s way.

The news that Bresnan and Shahzad can play all four days at Canterbury came after the authorities lifted flight restrictions around the UK, meaning England will leave, as planned, for the World Twenty20 on Sunday.

That decision has also enabled Yorkshire’s overseas bowler Tino Best to board a plane in the West Indies.

The club confirmed that he will land tomorrow morning at Gatwick Airport before travelling to Kent to join up with the squad. He should make his debut in the limited-overs match against Essex on Sunday.