ENGLAND’S seemingly forgotten fast bowler Martin Saggers hopes to return to the county fold tomorrow (Friday) when Kent welcome Northamptonshire for their penultimate championship match of the summer.

Other than pride, Kent have Frizzell Division 1 prize money of £50,000 up for grabs should they cement their runner’s up spot behind Warwickshire.

Saggers, who has been sidelined for six weeks with patella tendonitis in his right knee, will undergo a late fitness test before deciding on his comeback.

Kent skipper David Fulton will be without his overseas fast bowler Ian Butler who has joined up with New Zealand ahead of the Champions Trophy. The captain may also opt to do without overseas batsman Michael Bevan.

The Aussie left-hander missed Kent’s matches with Lancashire and Glamorgan last week and may yet have played his last game for the county.

“He’s had a problem with his hip, but there was a possibility he would have missed those games anyway,” revealed Fulton. “I wasn’t going to drop any batsman other than Michael to accommodate the return of Rob Key.

“So we may accommodate him against Northants if we need the extra batsman, but we’ll have to have a good long look at the pitch before we decide on our starting X1."