Adams: We will be better prepared

Jimmy Adams has admitted

he’s not got Kent’s pre-season preparations

right in previous campaigns. The former West Indies

captain’s fifth season as head coach

begins against Loughborough MCCU

at Canterbury from Tuesday (11am) with hopes

high they can compete on three fronts

this summer. Adams admitted: “In years

gone by we probably haven’t been

ready for the start of the season. “We want to correct that

this season, have a good first month and

hopefully build something. “We’ve spoken about Loughborough

as a squad. It’s not a secret

that we plan to take the game a lot more seriously

than we have in the past. “This is a First Class fixture

and we want people to have that mindset.

I don’t think we can afford, given previous

experience, to take this game lightly

– we need to approach it with a professional

mindset. “We have a big game against

Worcester (in the Championship opener

on April 10) but need to get cracking before

then.” Kent drew four and lost

two of their six four-day games at Canterbury

last year, while their last victory

at Canterbury came with the 10-wicket

success against Derbyshire in June 2014. Adams admitted: “We’d

like to start playing better cricket at home.

We have a pretty dismal home record in

four-day cricket. “We’ve got peculiar conditions

here at Canterbury. We should

have an advantage when we play here. We

have to accept that what we’re doing

at home isn’t good enough. “The group are buying

into that fact. Let’s stop talking about young

or old or slopes or no slopes. Let’s get

tougher mentally and start playing consistent

cricket.”