KENT County Cricket Club hope to deliver an early Christmas present to their supporters by tying up deals for both next season’s overseas players in the coming fortnight.

Having made tentative enquiries over the availability of Anil Kumble, it is believed the club’s interest in the Indian off-spinner has cooled and that they have now made offers to last season’s star all-rounders, Andrew Hall and Justin Kemp.

Sources say that contractual negotiations are underway with both Proteas, but Kent are thought to want much stronger agreement with the players’ international board, Cricket South African, before committing themselves to pen and paper.

Rightly, the county are keen to avoid a repeat of last summer’s debacle when both Hall and Kemp were re-called for a low-key South Africa training camp forcing them to miss the last two games of Kent’s championship title challenge.

Either deal may stumble should Hall or Kemp win central contracts with the CSA, whose new deals are due to be announced at the end of March, so Kent are thought to be pursuing alternative overseas options should negotiations with either South African hit an impasse.

Meanwhile, the club have now sold 11,500 tickets for next June’s Elton John concert at St Lawrence and believe they are well on course for a 20,000 sell-out.

The club’s commercial and operations director Jon Fordham confirmed that all £100 top-price tickets have already been sold and a block of 125 hospitality packages also went this week.

The club shop, The Eleventh Wicket, has received the latest batch of St Lawrence lime tree memorabilia in time for Christmas.

Supporters can now buy their own lime tree sapling grafted from the iconic tree that blew down in last January’s gales.

Added to that, the club have produced miniature cricket bats, paper weights and commemorative bails made from timber from the famous tree, all of which come with a certificate of authenticity.

The sports equipment store at St Lawrence is also stocking pool, snooker and air hockey tables for Christmas and further details and opening times can be found on the club website www.kentccc.com or by ringing 01227 456886.