Kent Spitfires face Essex Eagles for the seventh time in limited overs cricket this season at Canterbury on Saturday in a crucial final weekend in the NatWest Pro40 Division 2 campaign.

Three of the top four could win the title – with the top two automatically promoted – while the third-placed team will face the third bottom team in Division 1 the following weekend.

Kent start the game in fourth place behind Glamorgan and Yorkshire.

All three are level on 10 points but the Welshmen, who have finished their season, have won five games to Kent’s four, while the White Rose county’s win at Scarborough last month puts them ahead of Rob Key’s side on head-to-head results. Kent still boast the best net-run-rate of 2.02, the third criteria on which league positions are decided.

The game will be the latest high-pressure clash between the sides this season. Spitfires got the upper hand in the Twenty20 Cup semi-final but Eagles took their revenge in the Friends Provident Trophy final at Lord's.

Saturday's match is a potential title decider as victory for Kent will pip Essex to the title with both finishing on 12 points and the same number of wins.

An Essex win would see them confirmed as champions but defeat and victory for Yorkshire in their final game at bottom county Northamptonshire would hand the title to Darren Gough’s men.

The teams know each other inside out but Geraint Jones admits there will be more of an edge to this game.

The former England wicketkeeper said: “When you saw the way we played against Surrey in our last Pro40 game, then you saw the way we truly can play.

“When we perform like we did at The Oval that night, then we’d beat anyone. We didn’t really show up for the Lord’s final.

“We’ll be going into it with a good-strength side and having had plenty of preparation time. The other advantage for us is that the game is at St Lawrence.”

The game, which is being screened by Sky, starts at 12.45pm.