THOUGH Shepherd Neame Kent Cricket League chairman Howard Smith plans to stand down at Wednesday's annual meeting, he believes he leaves the league in fine fettle.

Mr Smith, league chairman for seven years, will hand over the helm to Nigel Keess at the annual meeting to be held at Hartley Country Club, when all league clubs are invited to attend - indeed, clubs face a £50 fine should they fail to send a representative.

Highlighting cricket successes across the county in 2007 in his annual report, Mr Smith picked out Premier League winners St Lawrence and Highland Court for breaking Bromley’s stranglehold on the title, yet noted that Bromley also won silverware following their success in the Cockspur Cup.

Mr Smith also congratulated Kent Ladies and Kent Over 50s for winning their national titles and Kent County Cricket Club for their Twenty20 Cup success at Edgbaston.

Mr Smith said: “Kent cricket at all levels and age groups is in good heart. Whilst delighted by all these successes, I’m just as pleased that our (league) disciplinary problems were reduced by half compared to the previous season and hopefully these figures will continue to improve.”

Continuing the good news, Mr Smith added: “I’m delighted too that both our sponsors, Shepherd Neame and Readers, have kindly agreed to continue their sponsorship for a further year and, in the case of Readers, up to and including 2010.

“The support these two national companies have given us over many years is most appreciated and I’m very proud of their association with our League and at grass root level in particular.”

While confirming his intention to stand down, Mr Smith also praised another retiree, ground committee chairman Dave Barratt.

He said: “I’ve been proud to have held the post for the last seven years and have thoroughly enjoyed my term in office. This is in no small way due to the members of the management committee who have made my job so much easier. To them go my sincere thanks.

“I hand over the reins to new chairman, Nigel Keess, and hopefully he will find the League in excellent shape both administratively and financially.

“Every year I pay tribute to your management committee and this year is no exception, but the committee loses one of its best officers this year in the shape of Dave Barratt.

“Dave has done an excellent job over the past six years in giving advice and help to member clubs and newly promoted clubs and he will be sorely missed.”

Items on the agenda to be debated and voted upon by the meeting include a regulation change to two up and two down, a rule preventing clubs from artificially strengthening teams to ensure promotion and a wage rise for league umpires who, from summer 2008, will receive £32 per game.