KENT County Cricket Club’s packed annual meeting at the St Lawrence ground started and ended on high notes.

Members crammed into the Harris Room at the club’s Canterbury headquarters to see a computer-driven visual presentation from club treasurer Alister Dunning.

Mr Dunning pinpointed areas where the club had managed to overturn a loss of £40,123 in 2001 into a small profit of £13,242 for the last financial year.

He said: “Overall the club remains secure financially, we do have major demands on our funds, however, and the level of our available resources gives no cause for complacency.

“One third of our expenses went on players, one quarter for other staff and one-fifth for match expenses for cricket and upkeep of the ground. Yet despite increase in the cost of individual subscriptions over five years the overall level of income has remained fairly flat.

“Sports centre income was slightly lower, but rental income has increased and we also enjoyed record gross income from marketing.

“Shop sales were up with profits of £36,000 since 2000, while physiotherapy and catering showed useful increases.

“ECB income after 2005 is uncertain at this stage and our vision for the future of St Lawrence ground will involve significant capital expenditure.

“In line with academy status we are also at the planning stage of upgrading our indoor school and practice facilities.”

The age of new technology also reached the county’s much maligned cricket committee, whose chairman, Mike Denness, answered many potential questions.

The club’s chairman of cricket explained his thinking behind the controversial release of Paul Nixon, James Hockley and James Golding at the end of the 2002 season.

“Locally developed talent did not match our requirements to strengthen the squad for 2003, therefore decisions were taken to employ Michael Carberry, Alamgir Sheriyar and Peter Trego,” said Denness.

“Paul Nixon was indeed a true professional, however, when evaluating the long-term, we had to consider Geraint Jones.

“The committee and management team were of the opinion that Geraint was a Kent player for the future and that his continued contribution to Kent cricket was indeed in the club’s best interests.

“Both of these young men (Hockley and Golding) have got talent, but in the long term we couldn’t see the improvement we needed. We tried to get them to go to other counties, but as it has turned out neither have.”

“We could say we were competitive in 2002, but the general view was the squad needed to be strengthened if we were to be truly and consistently competitive.

“We will continually strive to establish a cricket environment to develop our own players capable of playing at the top level of domestic and international cricket. The most important asset this club has are its players.”

Mr Denness also confirmed that the club were seeking to replace Andrew Symonds, who will miss the opening seven weeks of the season on duty with Australia A, but would be keeping their ‘powder dry’ on signing a second overseas star.

The meeting saw the presidential hand-over from Lord Kingsdown to chairman of Faversham-brewers Bobby Neame, while the three general committee candidates up for re-election, Carl Openshaw, Nicholas Heroys and Paul Box-Grainger, were granted another three-year term unopposed.

During any other business, chief executive Paul Millman told members that dialogue between the county and Cantebury City Council over the club’s controversial new nets were still on going. Erected without planning consent, the nets are now under a city planners’ enforcement notice for removal from the practice area backing onto St Lawrence Forstal.

Mr Millman also assured supporters that extensive work at the county’s new out-ground in Beckenham should ensure an improved playing surface ahead of their opening match there on Sunday, June 15. As for St Lawrence itself, Mr Millman confirmed that no tangible progress had been made toward the club’s vision for re-development.

Talks had taken place concerning the development of hotel and sports centre complexes at the ground, but without any concrete agreements.

The meeting closed with a rally-cry to the membership from Kent supporter, Mr Graham Long from Staplehurst, who asked the St Lawrence faithful to get behind what he sees as a county team in transition.

“The St Lawrence ground has been voted the nicest in the country. I for one wouldn’t swap it for anywhere else, and we also have two wonderful out-grounds in Tunbridge Wells and Maidstone.

“The only thing Kent needs is more confidence on the field, confidence comes from more positive support so let us get behind David Fulton and the team and enjoy a successful 2003.”