Kent Cricket's Jordan Cox believes side will be disappointed with anything less than a top-five finish in Division 1 of the County Championship

Jordan Cox thinks Kent will be disappointed with anything less than a top-five finish on their return to the top tier in the County Championship.

Kent are back in Division 1 this summer, with the competition reverting to two divisions once more after two seasons under revised structures due to the Covid pandemic.

Wicketkeeper Cox is excited to pit his wits against the best in the country - and is certainly setting his sights high.

“There are 10 teams in there and, if we finish below fifth, we will probably be pretty upset,” claimed the 21-year-old who made his debut in 2019 when Kent finished fourth in Division 1.

“I don’t think we are just taking part at all.

"We are going to be fighting for one of the top spots, and I honestly believe that.”

Cox says Kent have built a strong squad, which he hopes will help to bring the best out of the players, for their 2022 campaign.

“There is a really strong side," he admitted. "We have got a really good squad here which is good - it’s what we need.

“If you are not playing to your potential, then you get dropped. Kent haven’t had that for a while.

“But now there is a lot of fighting for spots which is good. It’s going to bring the best out of us and help us.

“I’m really excited for the season to start and I think the boys are really excited too.

“I’ve got a feeling we’re going to have a good year.”

The bowling attack is looking especially strong with overseas signings Jackson Bird, George Linde, Matt Henry and Qais Ahmad all offering something different as Kent aim to compete across all formats.

Cox enthused: “There are some quality players.

“We have Matt Henry for the last seven Championship games who is a game-changer. He brings an X Factor.

"We have Jackson Bird coming in - they