Rain washed out the morning play at Tunbridge Wells as Sussex aimed to get their campaign back on track with a Championship double over Kent.

Sussex were set to field an untried new ball pairing of Paul Hutchison and Jason Lewry in the absence of James Kirtley on England duty and Billy Taylor ruled out because of a thigh strain.

They are in a 12-man squad which also includes fit-again Tony Cottey, who has replaced Michael Yardy, and he will bat at No. 3.

It is the performance of the two former England A left-armers which will arouse most interest when play gets underway.

Hutchison, signed from Yorkshire at the end of the 2001 season, will make only his fourth Championship appearance for the county with an action he re-modelled during the winter.

In his only first team game this season he took four wickets against Zimbabwe and has maintained a consistent level of performance since then in second team and club cricket.

Lewry was dropped after playing in the first two Championship games but he rediscovered his form with a five-wicket haul for the seconds last week.

Sussex have confirmed they will utilise Kirtley later in the match if he is released from the England squad for the second Test against Zimbabwe, which starts tomorrow at Chester-Le-Street.

Sussex (from): Montgomerie, Goodwin, Cottey, Adams, Ambrose, Martin-Jenkins, Prior, Innes, Davis, Ahmed, Hutchison, Lewry.

Kent (probable): Blewett, Carberry, Smith, Walker, Symonds, Ealham, Jones, Treadwell, Trott, Sheriyar, Saggers.