KENT cricket supporters are accustomed to seeing the friendly and familiar face of Anthony Roberts driving the roller across the St Lawrence square or behind the wheel of the club’s tractor, but the reality is he would rather be taking photographs from the thin end of a long, telephoto lens.

The assistant groundsman from Littlebourne has helped tend the hallowed turf at Kent’s headquarters ground since he started what he thought would be a summer maintenance job there back in 1988.

But after taking a few cricket snaps on a camera borrowed from his brother Trevor, Roberts’s love for photography blossomed in line with his ambition to become a senior groundsman.

Taking up the story, Roberts said: "I really enjoyed the first year and met a chap called Malcolm Bell. He was a former Cornwall cricketer who worked on the groundstaff here, and at the end of that summer he invited me over to South Africa the following winter.

"The idea started off as just a holiday really, but I ended up working over there for four years on the ground at Avondale, which at that time was run by Bob Woolmer.

"I then came back here full time in 1992 and transferred across onto the pitch preparation under Brian Fitch."

Though snapping cricket shots was his first love, travelling and working in South Africa ensured Roberts soon had the bug for wildlife photography.

And though he has provided cricket pictures for Wisden Cricketer Magazine, the Kent Messenger Group, the county’s annual, and several national newspapers, Roberts is now hoping his shots of South African big game will capture the imagination of magazine editors.

"I think my best cricket shot was of Dean Headley celebrating his hat-trick in the style of Roberto DiMatteo lying down on the floor with three or four of the other Kent players lined up behind him," added Roberts.

"But in some ways my wildlife photography has taken over my life a bit. I’ve always had a soft spot for animals and love going around the parks at Howletts and Port Lympne.

"I’m fascinated by the wild dogs and leopards at Howletts, but you can’t beat seeing wildlife in their natural habitat like the Kruger National Park or Sabi Sands, which is a luxurious place to stay and world famous for its leopards.

"I went to the Kruger last winter with Martin Saggers, who is another mad-keen wildlife photographer, and we witnessed a leopard kill five yards from our Land Rover.

"It chased down a small deer then dragged the body up a tree so that other predators, like lions and hyenas, couldn’t get to it. It was incredible to see nature at work right in front of our eyes."

Though his photography kit and wildlife holidays have cost several thousand pounds down the years, Roberts is keen to develop the interest further.

He is planning his own wildlife website and further visits to South Africa this winter.

He said: "The club have been as good as gold in allowing me to build up my holidays and take time off to develop this love affair with photography.

"I couldn’t ask for any more from them and I like to think I’ve helped them out in return with my cricket pictures over the last 10 years or so.

"I have a cricket website already, but my dream would be to live out in South Africa, start up a wildlife photography website and maybe sell some of my work to magazines and newspapers or organise tour groups for amateur photographers.

"I just have to make sure my photography gets better and better. Cricket photography has much to do with setting yourself up at the angle and then being in the right place at the right time, and it’s much the same for taking pictures in the wild."

* Any amateur snapper who might like to join Anthony on a wildlife photography tour in South Africa can contact him on 07815 468005 or by e-mail at bobokccc@hotmail.