KENT'S former England swing bowler Martin Saggers has signed a new one-year 'pay as you play' deal with the county after proving his fitness during three, close-season tests.

The 34-year-old, Norfolk-born player is joining Kent on their pre-season training trip to La Manga in Spain in readiness for what will be his ninth season since moving to the county from Durham.

The joint-top wicket-taker throughout England in 2002, Saggers forced his way into the Test side for the tour of Bangladesh in 2003 for his sheer consistency and happy knack of removing top-flight, top-order batsmen.

He then played two Tests in the 2004 domestic campaign against New Zealand, the last of them at Trent Bridge in June of that summer.

However, Saggers picked up a patella tendonitis problem in his right knee shortly afterwards and remained on the sidelines for much of 2005.

His 2006 season was then dogged by two distinct injuries in his left foot and ankle, all of which means the right-arm medium-pacer has only made 11championship starts for Kent since picking up his third England cap.

Happy to be given another chance by the county, Saggers said: "I am in a similar position to Min Patel a couple years back in that I have got a deal, but still have to prove myself out in the middle.

"I have made sacrifices this winter and got myself fully fit, but there’s still a lot of work to be done and I am by no means out of the woods yet.

"I have to stay fit for the rest if the season now, but I am eternally grateful to the club for giving me the chance.

"They could easily have turned around and said 'there's nothing for you', and I know a lot of other counties who might have done that, but Kent have shown good faith in me.

"It has been a tough winter, but I have a summer to look forward to now and hope to repay the club's faith in me."