Gloucestershire head east today in preparation for a week which could define their season.

Alex Gidman's side begin their latest County Championship match against Kent at Beckenham tomorrow, targeting victory over one of their chief rivals for the Division Two title ahead of their Friends Provident Trophy semi-final at Sussex on Sunday.

Gidman presided over a six-wicket defeat in yesterday's Twenty20 Cup dead rubber against Glamorgan – his first outing since injuring his back on June 16 – and he admits he will need to lift spirits in the dressing room.

"That game probably sums up our whole Twenty20 campaign to be honest," he said.

"We were competitive at times, probably in a position to win at one point and let it slip. It's hard to put a finger on why that happens.

"We can't put the Twenty20 totally to bed, as we need to keep chatting about things and there are certainly aspects we need to improve before the semi-final and Pro40 gets underway.

"But we're probably more confident of defending totals in the longer format of one-day cricket."

Also weighing on Gidman's mind are injuries to Ian Saxelby (knee) and Chris Taylor, who definitely misses the Kent match after splitting webbing on his hand.

On his own fitness, the skipper said: "The back is fine – it gets a little bit stiff now and again but I'm happy to have had the run-out."

Less worrying is Gloucestershire CCC's four-day form, having won three of their last four matches to establish a 22-point lead at the top of the table.

Kent have played one game fewer, however, and Gidman is anxious not to let any initiative slip in the race for one of two promotion spots.

"I think there will be a few guys who are hurting right now, and quite rightly so because we haven't had a good (Twenty20) campaign," he said.

"But it is all over, so we do look to Kent. We've got to look at the table and understand that a good result against them in particular puts a lot of space between us.

"That's the next focus, and it's nice that we've got something so positive to look forward to, so we go down there full of confidence and looking to pick up as many points as we can."