KENT captain David Fulton must have smiled when the county drew an away trip to Berkshire in next season’s Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy.

The second round tie, to be played on Wednesday, May 5, or the Thursday reserve day, matches Berkshire with Kent for only the second time in the competition’s history. But Kent will recall their first meeting for all the right reasons.

Back in June 1994 Kent amassed their competition record score of 384 for six at the West Berkshire venue of Finchampstead, where Carl Hooper hit a competition-best 136 not out against the part-time minor county attack.

Dropped off a sharp caught and bowled chance when on one, Hooper went on to score his runs from a spellbinding 83 balls with two sixes and 13 fours.

However, only Fulton and Mark Ealham remain from the Kent side that secured a 143-run win that day.

Should they overcome Berkshire, Kent will travel to play the winners of the Shropshire versus Warwickshire tie in round three, which is scheduled for Saturday, May 29.

That could be the 11th time Kent have clashed with Warwickshire in the 40-year history of the competition, Kent having won four times to Warwickshire’s six, including a semi-final victory by eight runs back in the same year of 1994.

Trophy holders Gloucestershire will begin their defence of the title in Holland while Surrey take the other overseas trip available after being drawn against Ireland.

The bottom four first class counties in division two of the 2003 National Cricket League play each other in the only two all first-class fixtures. Derby therefore host Somerset, while Sussex travel to Durham.