SPITFIRES travel to the picturesque New Road ground in Worcester on Sunday aiming to gun down Graeme Hick and the Worcester Royals in Kent’s fifth National League start of the campaign.

Mark Ealham’s side lie a disappointing sixth in the Division 1 table with just one win in four games, including Sunday’s narrow, six-run reverse in the 600-run thriller at The Oval.

Though buoyed by their valiant yet fruitless run chase against Surrey, Kent will need to be at their best this weekend against a Royals side who completed a league double against them in 2002.

Under the new captaincy of Ben Smith, Worcestershire have made just two league starts to date and their one win and superior run rate places them two rungs up the Division 1 ladder from Kent.

Deposed skipper and former England batsman Hick will again be the prized wicket. The Zimbabwean-raised right-hander tops the divisional averages with 133 runs from his two innings and has yet to be dismissed.