Several Kent cricket stars went back to their roots to coach young people in Bromley and spread the word about the long-awaited return to the County Ground in Beckenham later this month.

In-form opener Daniel Bell-Drummond and fast bowler Ivan Thomas joined spin prospect Imran Qayyum at Alexandra Junior School in Sydenham.

Lewisham-born Kent academy graduate Bell-Drummond joined the county at the age of seven and spoke to youngsters about his career and passed on tips in coaching clinics alongside Greenwich-born 23-year-old Thomas and Qayyum, 21.

Bell-Drummond, 21, said: “It’s great to see many youngsters into cricket and I started playing properly when I was their age at Catford Wanderers, about five minutes from here.

“My dad took me to training and I started playing in the men’s teams when I was ten.

“We have lots of friends and family who can’t always make it to Canterbury, so it’ll be great to come back to Beckenham and there should be a good crowd, especially against our local rivals Surrey."

In another visit, England Lions’ Sidcup-born spinner Adam Riley joined Kent's fielder of the year Alex Blake from Farnborough 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 May 24, the first of six days of first-class cricket the venue.

A homegrown Kent team will take on a Surrey side featuring Kevin Pietersen and the world's top-ranked Test batsman Kumar Sangakkara.

Kent and Surrey renew the oldest rivalry in county cricket in the LV= County Championship between May 24 and 27 before two NatWest T20 Blast fixtures in consecutive Friday evenings.

The Spitfires take on Surrey again at Beckenham on May 29 before facing Gloucestershire on June 5, both 5.30pm starts.

Tickets are available from kentcricket.co.uk and junior cricketers under the age of 16 can obtain a free ticket to the Gloucestershire game through their local clubs.

Community cricket coaches also work with Keston CoE, Blenheim Primary and Manor Oak Primary in Orpington and Parish CoE in Bromley through the Chance To Shine charity, which has brought cricket to two million children in 10,000 schools in the UK.

For more information about clubs near you, e-mail admin@bromleydistrictcricket.com

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