Joe Denly admits "three weeks seemed like three months" after making a surprise return against Sussex on Sunday.

The 25-year-old opener (pictured) passed himself fit after a morning net session having been out since breaking his thumb against Gloucestershire last month.

He said: "I went to the ground early to hit a few balls and although I wasn’t pain free, it was certainly better.

"I wore a cast to protect the injury when I was fielding and was pleased to be back playing because three weeks seemed like three months."

Denly hit a hundred in pre-season against Lancashire at Beckenham but totalled just 77 runs in six innings at the start of the season. He was out for five on Wednesday as Kent replied to Derbyshire’s total of 460 all out on day two of their LV=County Championship match at St Lawrence.

Denly knows he and the rest of the Kent batsmen must improve, having made only one total of more than 300 in their four previous championship matches.

He added: "We all know we haven’t scored the runs we should have, or given the bowlers enough to bowl at.

"We haven’t spent enough time in the middle and need to be more selfish, value the time at the crease, and turn starts into good scores."