Kent coach Jimmy Adams says a return to the top-table of county cricket is the club’s main aim as they prepare for the start of their campaign at Worcester on Sunday.

The former West Indies skipper, in his third season at the helm, revealed his excitement at what his squad could achieve this summer.

Adams said: “Things are going to plan and we have guys that mean we have every reason to be optimistic. Everyone is keen to show what they can do.

“Our goal is to get back into Division 1 in four-day cricket – that will always be our foundation goal at the start of the season.

“However, we have a group of exciting players that can get results in all formats.”

Adams said a fast start was crucial to any promotion-challenge, adding: “At the beginning of the season you want to get positive results and play positive cricket.”

Kent are set to be without two key bowlers for the opening LV= County Championship Division 2 game of the summer at New Road.

Paceman Mark Davies (shoulder) and all-rounder Calum Haggett (side) will miss out, although overseas fast-bowler Doug Bollinger and spinner James Tredwell are in contention following the ICC World t20 in Bangladesh.

Another player pushing for a start is Robbie Joseph, who signed a new contract with the club this week after impressing in pre-season, taking wickets in warm-up games against Durham and Essex last week before adding 2-56 from 19 overs in the first class curtain-raiser against Loughborough MCCU at Canterbury on Tuesday.

The Antigua-born right-armer, now 32, made his Kent debut at the end of the 2005 season and took nearly 200 wickets before leaving at the end of the 2011 season for Leicestershire.

Adams said: “A Robbie Joseph bowling well will get wickets, it’s as simple as that. It’s a
win-win situation.

“On one hand you have a young man who’s desperate to play professional cricket and on other hand have a club that will always be looking for potential match-winning
talent.”

Skipper Rob Key should be fit after a wrist problem, despite having faced just three deliveries as he recorded a duck against Loughborough, but Alex Blake (shoulder) is sidelined.

Sam Northeast and Daniel Bell-Drummond struck centuries as Kent made a winning start to their red-ball season in a two-game game at Chelmsford on Friday, with Bell-Drummond making it back-to-back centuries, passing 1,000 First Class runs and posting a new best First Class score of 103* against Loughborough.