by Glenn Pearson

Youth will still get a chance at Kent despite the winter recruitment of several senior players, according to club skipper Rob Key.

The past two seasons has seen the county rely on younger members of the squad that have graduated from the Kent academy and while that policy has had a degree of success, particularly with the likes of Matt Coles, results on the pitch have suffered.

However, with six new players arriving before the start of the season, Kent now boast a squad of 24 which means competition for places and gives both Key (pictured) and head coach Jimmy Adams options of rotating players in championship and one-day cricket.

Although he concedes that Kent’s younger players will not get the same opportunities as they have in the past two seasons, Key believes a stronger second-team unit will mean players will be selected when in-form, rather than to help make up the numbers.

He said: "We are going to call on a number of players to come in and do a job. With some of the younger guys we have asked too much of them over the last couple of years when they have come into the side.

"We have asked them ‘in the first year we need 1,400 runs from you at whatever position or we need you to take five wickets and bowl like a senior player’.

"Now, hopefully, they will come into a decent side and that will allow them to find their game and not be under that pressure to be one of the main players.

"We have signed a few senior guys but I’ve got no doubt that nearly all the youngsters that deserve it will get an opportunity at some stage."

Key also revealed that Kent, who signed West Indian Brendan Nash for the whole summer, will be doing all they can to sign another overseas player for Twenty20.

He said: "We will be knocking on the chief executive’s door a month or so before the Twenty20, like last year, asking if there is any chance of an overseas. I’m sure it’s not off the cards but we will have to wait and see."