AS HE prepares for his third season at the county helm, Kent’s director of cricket, Graham Ford, is feeling pretty much at home at his adopted St Lawrence.

Taking time out from putting the fringe players through their paces in pre-season net sessions in Canterbury, the softly spoken former South African Test coach looked pretty much at ease with his world and quietly confident of his side’s chances in 2007.

Never one for rash predictions, Ford is pleased by the team’s year-on-year progress following his first two campaigns in charge and hopeful of further improvements this summer.

He said: "I’d like to think I’m a lot more streetwise about county cricket now than when I first came here.

"Since the moment I came here, everyone made me feel right at home – I’ve been very fortunate in that regard – but the key is I’ve got to know the players so much better now, what makes them tick and our cricket management team is working well together and our plans are coming into place.

"Clearly the injury to Amjad Khan comes as a blow to our plans but there is a good structure to the operation now and hopefully that will pay off."

Despite Khan’s absence this season after surgery to his injured right knee, Kent have made a couple of canny signatures in the close season that seem certain to soften the blow.

Indeed, some might argue that the recruitment of Kolpak seam bowler Ryan McLaren and Pakistan paceman Yasir Arafat leaves Kent with a better balance to their squad.

Ford added: "We knew Yasir was useful with the older ball and can reverse swing it both ways and, in our planning, we imagined Yasir and Amjad forming a pretty useful partnership with the old ball.

"That thinking has been a little disrupted by Amjad’s injury but we still have firepower with Andrew Hall returning and Martin Saggers fit again. I don’t like to get too carried away with predictions, I prefer us to concentrate on the little things and hope that the little breaks go our way.

"With a small squad, staying injury free is pretty crucial but having fewer players also has its advantages because everyone understands their role more clearly."

The retirement of David Fulton has left Ford with a position to fill at the top of his Championship batting order but the 46-year-old Ford is confident his young guns Joe Denly and Neil Dexter will prevail.

He said: "It’s a healthy situation between those two guys, they’re good mates and work together quite a bit.

"They’re pushing each other hard and fighting for that place. It’s nice to know we’ve got two guys with that much talent, clearly they can’t fill Dave’s boots in terms of experience just yet but there’s no doubt they both have the potential to be the real article.

"It also strengthens our batting line- up considerably to have Geraint Jones back. He showed good signs in scoring a ton in the one-day friendly against Nottinghamshire and if he bats to that potential and ability, he could certainly keep that top order role for us in the one-dayers.

"As for his Championship role, I see Geraint going in at six or maybe seven, depending on how long he might need to recover from a spell in the field."

And, in sending a message to the loyal Kent supporters, Ford added: “We are one of the better supported sides in county cricket and the team certainly appreciate how the fans get behind us.

"Everyone I speak to is so desperate for a Kent competition victory of some sort. I’m hoping it can be one of those fantastic years.

"They don’t come that often because there is a lot of good opposition out there but if we hit our straps, then who knows. We might all be enjoying ourselves come the end of the season."