KENT'S England cricketers Geraint Jones and Martin Saggers will be hoping for more of the same success if they step out together at Trent Bridge for the third and final Test against New Zealand tomorrow.

They became the first Kent pair to play for England in a home Test since Mark Ealham and Dean Headley lined up at Old Trafford in 1997, and both men did their county proud as England romped to a nine-wicket win.

Wicketkeeper Jones was named npower man-of-the-match in only his third Test after becoming the 10th gloveman to score a Test century for England.

He also took a spectacular catch to remove Scott Styris on the final morning of the match and it was his sharp run out that sealed the victory and a 2-0 series win.

After picking up his gold medallion and cheque for £2,500, Jones said: "I'd like to think I did everything asked of me, which is just what I'd try to do normally.

"But on this occasion that is what I had to do, because I'd had a couple of starts in my previous Tests and I knew I had to go on and get a big score.

"There was a bit of pressure for me to get big runs and with my keeping, so it was nice to keep well too and I hope that I have answered a few critics.

"It's a catch I can remember myself taking when I was growing up and I took one very similar to that for Kent off Matt Mason to give Alamgir Sheriyar his fifth wicket against Worcestershire.

"I enjoy those diving catches and I guess this one was up there with my best I've made. It certainly made all the goalkeeping work I did in the close season worthwhile."

Recalling his maiden Test century that helped England to a vital lead in the match, Jones explained how special the ovation felt to him.

"It was great to be recognised by the crowd. I thought the ovation at Lord's for my 46 was good, but to be able to acknowledge the applause with a hundred behind you made this special," he added. "A lot of people mentioned I looked up the heavens, I guess I was thinking of my mum at that point. She passed away when I was 12.

"But I was also thinking of my dad, who was listening to Test Match Special on the internet over in Australia, all my family members, and my girlfriend Jen, who couldn't get up from Canterbury for the game. I was just thanking them all really."

Not to be outdone, swing bowler Saggers marked his Test debut on home soil with the first-ball wicket of previously irremovable Kiwi opener Mark Richardson.

Saggers got one to swing late into the left-hander, squeeze through bat and pad on its way to the stumps and spark Barmy Army celebrations.

"I was a little shocked and surprised that I got it through his defence but after that the feeling of jubilation took over," said Saggers.

"There's a big slope at Headingley and I didn't feel that I had landed right in my delivery stride, but I have a good wrist action and the seam went down bolt upright and the ball found its way through."

Saggers, an 11th hour replacement in the Headingley side after injuries to Simon Jones and James Anderson, confessed he never thought he would win his second cap in Leeds.

"I wasn't really expecting to play and fully believed I would be heading back down to Tunbridge Wells," he said.

"But we had a team meeting on Wednesday night when they told me I was definitely in the starting 11 and after that the rest of the meeting was a bit of a blur.

"I didn't sleep too well and the nerves really set in the next morning, but once we got out there, with the crowd behind us, it was incredible.

"I felt my bowling went well and I might have had a few more wickets than I did because I beat the outside edge a fair bit and had good shouts turned down against Vettori and Fleming."