Kent begin redevelopment work

Despite a tough financial position, Kent have begun the redevelopment of the St Lawrence Ground in Canterbury which will include retractable floodlights, a two-storey dressing room building and new member facilities.

The parlous state of the club's finances - highlighted when they released Ajmad Khan having been unable to afford to keep the pace bowler - has been widely reported and there is still talk of further high-profile departures even though the club insist key players will stay.

However, the redevelopment is part of Kent's long-term plan for stability and Jamie Clifford, the chief executive, was delighted to see the first steps taken. "I'm tremendously excited. It's been a long haul getting to this point, but it's tremendous to know now that this project is going to happen," he said. "There is now the opportunity to really invest in our infrastructure and make sure the asset we have here is really as good as it can be."

Robert Key, who has been reappointed as captain for the 2011 campaign, hoped the building work marked a new start for the club. "The landscape of cricket is changing massively and the thing I love about Kent is that the club doesn't merely want to exist, they want to evolve and move forward," he said. "Things like this redevelopment plan are crucial to that.

"After a really tough year on the field, it's really encouraging to me to see how quickly things are now moving. At last we're starting to see light at the end of the tunnel and I can now see Kent as a thriving club in years to come."