Kent director of cricket Paul Farbrace says it is important for his new-look side to get on the Friends Life t20 winning trail in their West Country double-header this weekend.

After beginning their campaign with back-to-back defeats at Tunbridge Wells, Kent travel to face Somerset in Taunton on Friday before continuing to Cardiff to face Glamorgan the following day.

Kent missed out on a place in the knockout stages last year and Farbrace (pictured) says avoiding four straight defeats to open the campaign is vital.

He said: "Nothing is decided just yet. Nine wins from the last 14 games should be enough to get through and last year we went on a run of six successive wins.

"We could do with getting something this weekend because if we don’t then with four straight defeats to start we’ve made it hard for ourselves. To win nine from your last 12 is a big ask."

Kent are buoyed by the potential inclusion of South African seamer Charl Langeveldt – who made a wicket-taking debut in Friday’s nine-wicket defeat to Somerset – and Pakistan left-armer Wahab Riaz, due to arrive in the country yesterday (Wednesday).

They will, however, travel without Martin van Jaarsveld, sidelined for two weeks with a broken right index finger after a training accident last Thursday, and Matt Coles, who could miss up to a month with a stress fracture of his left foot sustained while bowling at the Nevill Ground.

Farbrace added: "It is a big blow. To have been missing players all season long through injury, then bring in a couple of bowlers who will make us stronger but to suffer new injuries like this – it is difficult to take."