KENT’S Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy clash with Berkshire looked in danger of going to a bowl-out after they arrived at Berkshire’s headquarters in Reading to find conditions unfit for first-class cricket.

A patchily mown outfield, flooded square and a re-seeded football goalmouth at the edge of batting table were all indicators that play may not be possible in the next two days, even if rain continued to hold off.

The Sonning Road ground, home of Reading Hockey and Cricket Club, has also been shared as Reading Football Club’s training headquarters in recent weeks, which has clearly hampered preparation for the tie.

Captain David Fulton was left seething when he finally saw the sodden pitch at the 12.30pm inspection and was soon calling for the game to be switched to Canterbury.

Kent coach Simon Willis made protestations to Lord’s and asked head of cricket operations Alan Fordham to switch the game to Canterbury or an alternative venue.

“It’s not the ground so much, it’s more the weather because they’ve had rain here for the past 12 days,” said Willis.

“We have to look at all options and taking the game back to Canterbury is just one of them we have discussed.

“The key thing from the ECB is that they would prefer this top be decided with a game of cricket and have given us various options.

“The first is, at the 11th hour here, move the game to St Lawrence, the other is to re-schedule it and they have given us until May 21 if we go down that road.

“Both sides have to agree on whichever way forward we go down and that will be our challenge over the next few hours and days.

“It’s a big day for Berkshire and they want to hold the game in their county, we understand that, but any further rain now will make that more of a doubt.”

Officials in St John’s Wood may ultimately block Kent’s request to stage the game in Canterbury however, as to move the tie outside the county would deny Berkshire the advantage of a home draw.