THOUGH Canterbury Cricket Week started way back in 1842 Kent can rarely have faced a more important assignment than Festival Week 2003.

On the face of it, this week’s brace of games against Essex may not appear too mouth-watering, but for Kent and their skipper David Fulton the two matches - the first of which starts tomorrow - are crucial.

Kent go into the four-day Frizzell County Championship clash occupying the last of the Division 1 relegation berths while Essex, hovering in the spot above them with a slender lead of seven points, have played one game more.

The message is clear: a couple of wins over Essex will go a long way towards maintaining Kent’s proud record as first division ever presents.

"Morale was dented by the early season injuries, but those are clearing up now and if we can put our full-strength side out we are a team to be taken very seriously," said Fulton ahead of St Lawrence showdown.

"We look to beat everyone we play, but there’s an expectancy that we will do a job on Essex.

"We’ve got one of the best attacks in county cricket now, so if we keep scoring runs we should win games."

Sunday’s National League game has become equally important following Kent’s shock defeat to basement side Yorkshire in Scarborough last weekend.

With just three wins from their nine starts, Spitfires can ill afford any further misfires and victory on Sunday (1pm start) could even see them exchange places with Essex Eagles in sixth.

Kent, who lost the corresponding away game in May, will hope to select from an unchanged squad, though all-rounder Peter Trego will still be absent with strained knee ligaments.