KENT'S NatWest Pro40 League promotion hopes could hinge on positive results from their two Bank holiday weekend games against Middlesex and Somerset played in the space of 48 hours.

On Sunday, Spitfires travel to St John's Wood to take on the fourth-placed side in Division 2, Middlesex, in a must-win game against a team they know they have the beating of.

Rob Key’s side go to Lord's in second spot, one point behind leaders Yorkshire with a game in hand, knowing a brace of wins over the weekend could allow them to open up a three point lead with three games remaining.

Though they will be without Pakistan all-rounder Yasir Arafat, Spitfires will be hoping for an improved showing from their other overseas pace bowler Lasith Malinga, who returned disappointing figures of one for 46 on his NatWest Pro40 debut against Durham a fortnight ago.

Key said: "These are huge games, but we’re hopeful that Darren Stevens will be fit which will be a big plus for us.

"We are pretty confident in our one-day cricket at the minute, we’ve beaten Durham in our last game and they’ve gone on to win the Friends Provident Trophy since, so we know we’re in good form.

"Middlesex will be without Owais Shah, but will have Andrew Strauss back, so we’ll hope to put them under pressure early on.

"As for Somerset, we all remember what Marcus Trescothick did to us last time he played in Canterbury, but we’re a very different side now.

"We had the likes of Simon Cusden playing in that game and though Somerset are still a dangerous side, I’d like to think we’re pretty well drilled in one-day cricket now and have proved that on our day we have the beating of any domestic side."

Somerset arrive for Monday’s clash at St Lawrence, which starts at 1.45pm, in sixth place in the table with one win from three games and desperate to build on their tally of three points if they are to stay within touching distance of the top two promotion places.

Spitfires squad: Key, Denly, van Jaarsveld, Walker, Stevens, Dexter, Jones, Tredwell, McLaren, Cook, Saggers, Malinga.