Kent's cricketers will prepare for the new season in the Caribbean, the club have revealed.

The team and new coach, former West Indian international Jimmy Adams, will fly to Antigua on March 7 for a 10-day training camp.

Captain Rob Key (pictred) said the early start to the club's LV= County Championship Division 2 campaign was behind the warm-weather camp.

He said: "With our first championship match very early in April, against Yorkshire at Headingly, we needed to guarantee that we could get uninterrupted pre-season training, on good wickets.

"Sadly this can’t be taken for granted in England and amongst the various options available to us, Antigua ticked the most boxes."

The party will include 14 players and four support staff but not some of the county's younger players who are committed to University studies or on England under-19 duty, and wicketkeeper Geraint Jones, who will be representing Papua New Guinea in a T20 World Cup qualifying tournament.

Chief executive Jamie Clifford reavealed the trip had been financially supported by the Antiguan Tourist Board and Prestige Caribbean Tours.

He said: "We have received wonderful support from the Antiguan Tourist people in putting the pre-season programme together. This has included them covering the cost of a reconnaissance trip by a player and staff member before committing to the location.”

On their return to the UK, Kent will play three pre-season games, hosting Middlesex in a one-day match at Beckenham on Friday, March 23, Glamorgan in a one-day fixture at the St Lawrence Ground on March 27 and a two-day fixture against the same opponents in Canterbury over the following two days.

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