Kent sign Aron Nijjar on loan from Essex to boost survival bid

The left-arm spinner goes straight into the side to face Nottinghamshire and is also available to take on Somerset and Lancashire in the concluding weeks of the season

Kent have signed Essex left-arm spinner Aron Nijjar for the remainder of the County Championship as they attempt to stave off relegation from Division One.

The 28-year-old goes straight into the side to face Nottinghamshire at Canterbury and is also available for the trip to Somerset and visit of Lancashire during the final week of the campaign.

Prior to the move, Nijjar had played 14 first-class matches, his last coming in September 2021, taking 19 wickets and scoring 239 runs.

Matt Walker's side began the 14th round of the Championship ninth in Division One, six points adrift of eight-place Middlesex and 33 behind this week's opponents Notts.

Survival is the priority for Kent head coach Matt Walker (Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)

They have won just twice this season, both victories coming against bottom side Northamptonshire. Their last Championship match, also against Notts, ended in a 321-run rout at Trent Bridge.

News of the arrival follows Ben Lister's call-up to the New Zealand squad for the remainder of the England one-day international series, which runs until September 16. They are also set to be without the services of Zak Crawley, who will captain England's ODI team against Ireland later this month.

Meanwhile, Jordan Cox is out for the season with a finger injury suffered during The Hundred and Hamid Qadri is sidelined with a calf problem.

India spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has also signed up for the final three rounds of the Championship as Kent look to avoid dropping into the second tier.

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