FIRMS in the county are being offered the opportunity to hire the hallowed square at Kent's St Lawrence ground at Canterbury for their corporate cricket games next summer.

The county club are offering a handful of ground lease opportunities in 2003 at a cost of £3,000 plus VAT per day.

Apart from gracing the famous turf, teams will have use of the home and away dressing rooms and the club's dressing room attendant.

For an additional charge, the club can also complete the package with lunch and tea in the players' dining room, coupled with a celebration post-match dinner in the pavilion.

For further details contact Kent's marketing team on 01227 456886.

Meanwhile, it's been announced that Kent are the latest of seven counties to be awarded full cricket academy status by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

With the financial backing of Sport England, ECB have advertised the post of academy director for Kent, who will be responsible for identifying cricketers with potential to play at the highest level of the game.

Candidates must have an ECB Level III coaching award or international equivalent, experience as a county player (or extensive knowledge of first-class county cricket), and a minimum of 3 years experience within the County of National Development of Excellence programmes.