Darren Stevens says he is ready to put his early season fitness worries behind him and help Kent’s quest for success in all forms of the game.

The 37-year-old all-rounder suffered a side strain during pre-season which hampered his bowling in the opening two LV= County Championship Division 2 games of the season and then missed the home defeat to Northants with a bruised knee.

The former Leicestershire man said: “I’m ok now, but a couple of niggles put me back. We were thinking the knee might have been from the soft ground early in the season when I’d come in from hard ground in Bangladesh and South Africa.

“I had an MRI scan and the doc said my other knee was worse so I had a week off to try and get on top of it. And though it was sore in Holland last week, at training on Tuesday I didn’t feel it, so fingers crossed I can play with freedom from now on.”

Stevens admitted the side strain meant he didn’t have the nip he usually gets when bowling and he felt restricted, but hopes he can push on after a three-wicket performance to help beat the Netherlands.

He said: “We let ourselves down a couple of years ago there, so we made it clear we wanted to go there and give them a hiding and get it done and dusted. It was a spicy pitch and I managed to burgle a few at the end. Hopefully there’s more to come.”

Stevens has only scored 76 runs in six innings in all competitions but insists he is due a good score.

He said: “With my batting I’ve got in and got out straight away. I feel good though and I’m due a score. Some bowler’s going to get hurt sooner or later.”