Kent Cricket stars visit schools before return to Beckenham
Thursday 7th May 2015
Several Kent Cricket stars visited schoolchildren in Bromley today to coach cricket classes and spread the word about the long-awaited return to The County Ground, Beckenham later this month.
Fresh from excellent second-innings displays against Leicestershire on Wednesday, opener Daniel Bell-Drummond and fast bowler Ivan Thomas joined spin prospect Imran Qayyum at Alexandra Junior School in Sydenham.
Kent Cricket Academy graduate Bell-Drummond, 21, from Lewisham, joined Kent at the age of 7 and spoke to youngsters about his career and passed on tips in coaching clinics alongside Greenwich-born 23-year-old Thomas and Qayyum, 21, from West London.
In another visit, England Lions spinner Adam Riley joined Kent's fielder of the year Alex Blake and all-rounder Calum Haggett at Oak Lodge Primary School in West Wickham.
Riley, Blake and Haggett answered questions and signed squad posters before a few cricket classes ahead of the return to the club's new-look Beckenham base on Sunday 24 May, the first of six days of first-class cricket there.
Kent and Surrey renew the oldest rivalry in county cricket in the LV= County Championship (24-27 May) before two NatWest T20 Blast fixtures in consecutive Friday evenings.
The Spitfires take on Surrey again at Beckenham on Friday 29 May before facing Gloucestershire on Friday 5 June, both 5.30pm starts.
Tickets are available from www.kentcricket.co.uk and junior cricketers under the age of 16 can obtain a free ticket to the Gloucestershire game through their local clubs.
