KENT County Cricket Club have announced plans to launch a joint Club Benevolent Fund and Youth Trust Appeal for 2005.

With no player eligible for a benefit season, the club will take the opportunity to top up the coffers for worthy causes at both ends of the cricketing age scale.

The Benevolent Fund provides financial assistance to former players who may have hit upon hard times through sickness, old age or infirmity.

At the other end of the spectrum, Kent’s successful Youth Trust enables the county to encourage youngsters who may develop into first team cricketers.

Meanwhile, in the build up to their tour of Zimbabwe and South Africa, Kent players Geraint Jones and Rob Key sharpened up their reflexes by working with former Newcastle goalkeeping coach Steve Smith.

Jones travelled to Durham earlier in the year to spend time at the Newcastle’s Chester-le-Street training ground under the watchful eye of ex-Magpies boss Bobby Robson, and took the opportunity this week to enjoy another extended session with Smith and team-mate Key at St Lawrence.

On the injury front, Amjad Khan has returned home to Denmark to recuperate from surgery aimed at solving his persistent shin splint problem, while Kent’s other long-term absentee, Martin Saggers, is making steady progress with the knee injury that forced him to miss almost half the 2004 campaign.