Matt Coles has his sights set on smashing his own wickets record and collecting more than 75 scalps this season – so long as he can remain fit.

The 25-year-old all-rounder has 38 wickets in the opening seven games of the season, although Sunday’s 5-24 burst against Derbyshire was his first five-wicket haul in 14 attempts.

Coles’s previous best return in LV= County Championship cricket was 59 in 2012 – his final full year at Kent before a switch to Hampshire in 2013.

However, he has loftier ambitions in the final nine games of the Division 2 campaign.

He said: “I want to get to that first benchmark I set myself at the beginning of every year – get to 50 wickets and go from there.

“Hopefully, it can be up over 65 or even 75-plus if I keep going as I’m going at the moment but that’s down to the body carrying on and getting through. That’s one thing for me to keep on top of.”

He praised Ivan Thomas and Darren Stevens, who has 32 scalps at an average of 20 – the division’s best.

He said: “Ivan Thomas (who has taken 22 wickets at 25) has been bowling exceptionally well, not going for many runs and getting wickets and Stevo has been whirling them out like he normally does year-round.

“It’s not far away from clicking, we just need to click with the batting and it will be an exciting second half of the year.”