KENT will start the 2002 Frizzell County Championship campaign at Canterbury today without their two leading wicket-takers from last season.

Between them Martin Saggers and Ben Trott claimed 110 first-class wickets last summer, but neither will line up in the season’s opener against Hampshire at the St Lawrence ground this morning.

Saggers has picked up flu to go with the groin strain that prevented him from playing against Loughborough University at the weekend, while Trott is still recovering from the back strain that stopped his participation in the pre-season training camp in South Africa.

The county suffered another scare in training yesterday when David Masters split a finger during catching practise drills. But the Lordswood seamer received immediate treatment from physiotherapist Martyn Sigley and is expected to take his place against newly promoted Hampshire.

Kent are also set to give championship debuts to close-season signing from Middlesex James Hewitt and Danish international paceman Amjad Khan.

Last season’s Division 2 champions are at full strength and include ECB National Academy players Derek Kenway and Chris Tremlett.

Former Lancashire and England opener John Crawley lines up for a championship debut for his new side alongside Zimbabwean Neil Johnson and South African one-day international keeper Nic Pothas.

The match is scheduled for an 11am start.

Kent from: Fulton (capt), Key, Smith, Symonds, Walker, Nixon, Fleming, Patel, Masters, Khan, Hewitt, Tredwell.

Hampshire: Smith (capt), Kendall, Kenway, Crawley, Johnson, Pothas, Aymes, Udal, Mascarenhas, Morris, Mullally, Tremlett.