KENT County Cricket Club have announced pre-tax profits of £51,725 from the drought summer of 2003 and a campaign that saw them maintain their dual first division status.

Though the team were dogged by serious injuries and unexpected international call-ups for overseas players, the club will be content with performances on and off the field as they retained their top-flight ranking while increasing profits, turnover and attendance.

Post-tax profits for last year rose by almost £28,000 as the club’s overall income grew by nearly £400,000 to £3.56m.

The county will keep a watchful eye on expenditure, however, after costs increased by £317,000 with the biggest rise appearing in players’ salaries, which went up by nearly £160,000 to £1.58m.

The fact that Kent employed Test stars Greg Blewett, Mohammad Sami, Andrew Symonds and Muttiah Muralitharan in the space of one summer made the most significant impact on wages.

Chairman Carl Openshaw said: “Salaries are something we like to keep in control, but the players are our major resource and the lifeblood of the club.

“Attracting top-quality overseas players is an expensive business, especially when you have to employ three of four of them in a season, but you still have to pay the market rate.”

The costs of administering the county rose by over £45,000 to £416,253 as postage, phone bills, printing and stationary costs increased by a surprising £15,789.

However, last year’s figures also include, for the first time, start-up and administration costs at the new county ground in Beckenham.

Match receipts went up across the board and Kent can boast they are the best-supported county in all formats of the game after reporting record gate receipts of £329,375.

* The club's annual meeting to be held at St Lawrence ground on Monday, March 15, at 7.30pm.