Kent sign former Tonbridge School student Toby Pettman on loan from Nottinghamshire ahead of County Championship match against Division 1 leaders Surrey

Kent have announced the loan signing of a bowler who went to school in the county.

Toby Pettman, 24, was educated at Tonbridge School and has signed for Matt Walker’s injury-hit side ahead of their County Championship Division 1 match against leaders Surrey which starts from Sunday at the Kia Oval.

His former school said on Twitter: "Best of luck to OT Toby from all at #Tonbridge - another of our highly-distinguished class of 2016, making his way in the professional game."

Kent, who are in T20 Blast action at home to Sussex Sharks tonight (7pm) but already know they can’t progress to the knock-out stages of that competition, have injury concerns over all-rounder Darren Stevens, and bowlers Matt Quinn, Harry Podmore and Nathan Gilchrist.

But the seventh-placed County Championship team will expect to be able to call upon the services of New Zealand swing bowler Jacob Duffy for the match against Surrey, with the right-armer having signed a short-term deal earlier this month and helping Kent to their first County Championship win against Gloucestershire.

After a successful three years at Oxford University, seamer Pettman has taken 36 first-class wickets in eight matches at an average of 21.13.

During his time at Oxford, he represented Oxford MCCU in a match against Kent in 2018 at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, and took the wicket of fellow former Tonbridge School student Zak Crawley in a rain-affected and drawn encounter.

He took first-innings figures of 3-40 on loan for Derbyshire against Middlesex earlier this month in a six-wicket Division 2 success.

Kent batsman Marcus O'Riordan is another former student at Tonbridge School.