KENT’S pre-season training plans have suffered a double blow with news that leading strike bowlers Martin Saggers and Ben Trott could both miss the county’s spring training camp in South Africa.

Last year’s bowler of season, Saggers, and his new ball partner Trott, who joined the club two winters ago from Somerset, have both suffered slight back injuries during winter training programmes and may now be forced to miss the two-week camp in Port Elizabeth.

Both bowlers have suffered back injuries previously. Indeed Saggers, who played for Durham through to 1998, missed almost all of Kent’s 1999 campaign with a spinal stress fracture.

The popular paceman from King’s Lynn bounced back superbly, however, to finish the club’s leading wicket-taker in 2000 and 2001 and ended last season’s campaign with a career-best tally of 63 first-class wickets.

Neither injury is thought serious, but the club may decide to leave both bowlers at home as a precautionary measure.

Trott proved a valuable addition to the Kent squad last season and was rewarded for his tireless work and willingness to improve by taking 47 first-class scalps to finish third in the club’s bowling averages.

Despite the addition of seamer Jamie Hewitt from Middlesex, Kent have been unable to strengthen their seam attack further during the close season, but reports from Perth over the progress of rookies Amjad Khan and David Masters have been very encouraging.

England all-rounder Mark Ealham has also confirmed he will miss the trip to South Africa to remain at home with his wife Kirsty, who is expecting their first child.

The Kent party are due to fly out on Sunday, March 17, and will arrive back in England five days before the start of their first pre-season friendly against Essex, starting on Chelmsford on April 6