Kent will look to protect their unbeaten record in the Specsavers County Championship in Tunbridge Wells from Friday when they take on neighbours and Division 2 rivals Sussex.
With three wins and a rain-affected draw from their opening four starts, Sam Northeast’s side go into their fifth game lying second in the table, three points behind early pacesetters Nottinghamshire.
Kent’s in-form all-rounder Darren Stevens, fresh from a century against his former county Leicestershire, is hoping this year’s wicket at The Nevill will play differently to the usual Tunbridge Wells’ ‘feather-beds’.
Stevens said: “I got a 90 [against Leicestershire] back at Tunbridge Wells a few years ago but I got a second ball nought last year, so it was very pleasing to get to three figures for the first time against them last week.
“I’ve worked hard all winter and I’m reaping the rewards. Trying to improve and learn is what keeps you going in this game and I always want to try different shots.”
Stevens who, at 41, currently tops the PCA/ECB rankings for the county championship’s Most Valuable Player, added: “We’re in a good place in the four-day game and we have a nice little run in the red-ball format now. We’ll head down to Tunbridge hoping for a slightly different style of surface.
“I know that we’ve asked for a bit more grass on the wicket so there’s a bit more pace there than has sometimes been the case, so we’ll see what we find.”
Sussex will arrive in the Royal Spa Town buoyed by Tuesday’s innings win over Durham at Hove and a mammoth first innings total based around a career best 258 by Luke Wells, the son of England, Kent and Sussex legend, Alan, and a season’s best 149 from Stiaan van Zyl, the South Africa Test left-hander.
Kent, who won the corresponding fixture at Hove by a handsome margin of 266 runs back in April, are likely to face a much sterner test this time around as the visitors look set to field an impressive five-man pace attack of; Jofra Archer, Chris Jordan, Steve Magoffin, David Wiese and Vernon Philander, Kent’s short-term overseas professional at the start of the 2013 campaign.
Kent’s 12 man squad: Northeast, Bell-Drummond, Dickson, Denly, Weatherley, Gidman, Stevens, Rouse, Harris, Tredwell, Coles, Hunn.
Meanwhile, Kent have confirmed that New Zealand firebrand Adam Milne will be joining the county as their overseas player for the second half of the domestic season.
The 25-year-old right-armer from Palmeston North, who arrives next month, has represented the Black Caps 52 times across both white-ball formats. He replaces South Africa’s Wayne Parnell.
Match stats:
Kent have not lost to Sussex in six meetings (W3 D3).
There have been two draws and two wins apiece over the last six meetings between these sides at Tunbridge Wells.
Darren Stevens has reached 50 in five of his seven innings this summer for Kent.
Luke Wells is set to make his 100th first-class appearance in the match; his 258 against Durham earlier in the week represents the highest score by any batsman to date this season.