HALF the Kent cricket team have flown off to Perth in Western Australian to meet up with the county's new director of coaching Ian Brayshaw. They left Heathrow yesterday to prepare for the 2002 campaign and take advantage of the Australian summer by playing grade cricket and enjoying net sessions.

Ben Trott, David Masters, Amjad Khan, James Hockley and new signing James Hewitt all jetted out to join up with county team-mates James Golding and Ed Smith, who have been in Perth since Christmas.

The club’s new championship skipper David Fulton will join them in the first week in February for net sessions with Brayshaw, Kent’s coaching advisor John Inverarity and former Australian pace bowler Dennis Lillee.

All seven will also receive coaching from WA batting coach Neil ‘Noddy’ Holder and Australian bowler Matt Nicholson, who will also work on individual fitness programmes with each player. Kent’s head of cricket operations Simon Willis said: “Neil and Matt worked with Rob Key and James Golding last winter and it was clear to see the benefits both players derived from that.

“The committee were pleased with the way it worked for us last season so have agreed to extend the scheme this winter.” All seven will report back to Kent in March.