County to host Pakistan

Kent will host a tour match against Pakistan at Canterbury next season. The game against the 2017 Champions Trophy winners will take place from April 28-31. Head coach Matt Walker said: “We’re delighted to welcome international opposition to Kent again next season. It will be a good experience for our players to face some top-level cricketers and provide an entertaining match for our supporters.” Kent will also host a four-day match between India A and West Indies A at The County Ground, Beckenham starting on Wednesday July 4. Kent’s Specsavers County Championship Division 2 campaign will begin against Gloucestershire at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, on Friday, April 13. They follow that up with a trip to Durham (April 20) and face games against Glamorgan (Cardiff) and Sussex (Canterbury) before the Royal London One-Day Cup series gets under way in mid-May. The first RLODC home match is against Glamorgan at Canterbury on Friday, May 25. Pink-ball cricket returns in 2018 with a championship match against Middlesex at Canterbury on June 25-28 – where the first day-night Championship match was held in September 2011. Tunbridge Wells Cricket Festival is yet to be confirmed due to concerns over maintenance of the Nevill Ground as work continues to improve facilities. The Championship fixture against Warwickshire, scheduled for June 20-23, will only go ahead if the club and ECB officials are satisfied with the condition of the playing area during pre-season inspections. Kent will open their 2018 NatWest T20 Blast campaign in July with three successive away games. Early Bird T20 matchday tickets for home games go on sale in January (price £22 for adults and £5 children until 30 June 2018).