Bad light won’t be a problem during this year’s Canterbury Cricket Festival which starts next week.

The county entertain Essex in the four-day LV=County Championship Division 2 contest beginning on Wednesday, with Derbyshire the visitors in the Clydesdale Bank 40 competition on Sunday week.

Last season’s 265-run win over Surrey, secured with a day to spare, was played under gloomy skies forcing the umpires to halt play, but new rules introduced this year by the England and Wales Cricket Board now allow counties with floodlights to use them, during County Championship matches.

Chief Executive Jamie Clifford (pictured) said: "We struggled badly with the light during most days last year, with the players forced off in early afternoon. The ECB’S CEO David Collier was a guest at Canterbury last year, I don’t know whether that and the subsequent change are connected."

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Mr Clifford is banking on good weather to provide the perfect backdrop to the 161st staging of the oldest festival in this country, he added: "The season is going quickly, with so much time lost to the weather, but there are plenty of important days to

All the festival traditions will be included with jazz bands, marching bands, ladies day and the Supporters Club wreath-laying ceremony during the tea interval on the opening day.

Kent have also been boosted by sales of marquees around the ground for the Festival, with Mr Clifford describing them as "very good and really pleasing."

The county are offering free admission to all youngsters under the age of 16 for all five days – under-14s must be accompanied by an adult.