Kent suffer double injury setback

Kent paceman Matt Coles has only just returned from a knee injury

Injured Kent duo Matt Coles and Martin van Jaarsveld are both set to miss the county's next five FL t20 fixtures.

Just weeks after returning from a knee injury sustained against Northants in April, Coles could be out for up to four weeks with a metatarsal injury.

Van Jaarsveld will miss up to two weeks after breaking his right index finger in practice last week.

Van Jaarsveld is Kent's latest broken finger victim, following similar injuries for Joe Denly and Simon Cook.

"The loss of both Jarra and Matt Coles will hit us hard," director of cricket Paul Farbrace told BBC Radio Kent.

"Jarra is one of the best batsmen in county cricket. And Colesey has started to bowl really well the last two weeks.

"Just as we are starting to get the semblance of a good bowling side together we lose Colesey from that and Jarra from the batting side. It was a pretty tough day when I found out about them. Fair to say it's rocked us a bit."

Van Jaarsveld is Kent's leading run scorer in the County Championship this season with 480 runs.

Matt Coles is a dangerous option with the bat, and is probably one of our best fielders

Kent coach Paul Farbrace

He now faces a race to be fit for Kent's next four-day match against Middlesex on 19 June.

The 36-year-old South African suffered the break in fielding practice last Thursday, but still participated in Kent's first two FL t20 matches.

He made just five runs in Friday night's opening defeat against Somerset, but only faced three balls in making two not out in Sunday's rain-hit five-over thrash against Hampshire.

"Last Thursday we had one day to prepare for the Twenty20," said Farbrace. "We did some fielding on the Thursday.

"He misjudged a high catch and it caught the end of his finger.

"Despite playing Friday and Sunday, now x-rays reveal a break."

Kent seamer Coles, 21, recorded his best first-class figures of 5-77 against Leicestershire last week, before sustaining the foot injury on FL t20 duty. And Farbrace is equally frustrated about his loss.

"He was the stand-out bowler in the two games at Tunbridge Wells," said the Kent coach. "He's a dangerous option with the bat, and is probably one of our best fielders."