County Championship preview: Kent

2009 in a nutshell James Tredwell's wickets and a wealth of runs from Joe Denly, Robert Key, Geraint Jones and Martin van Jaarsveld were enough to win the second division title. They made the semi-finals of the Twenty20 but flopped in the other formats. Off the pitch, though, they made a shocking £800,000 loss. LV County Championship Division 2 1st Pro 40 Division 2 3rd Friends Provident Trophy Eliminated in group stages Twenty20 Cup Semi-finalists What they'll be playing in this season LV County Championship Division 1 Clydesdale Bank Pro40 Group C Friends Provident Twenty20 – South Captain Rob Key. England granted him a single Twenty20 match by way of an international comeback last summer. That has been his only appearance in the past five years, a fact that seems scandalous to his fans. In that time he has established himself as one of the canniest captains on the circuit. Coach Paul Farbrace. The prospect of being top dog was enough to lure him back to the club he had previously served as a player and academy coach. For the past two years he had been working as assistant coach to Sri Lanka, and suffered a shrapnel would during the terrorist attack on the team in Lahore last year. Ins and outs In Malinga Bandara Out Ryan McLaren, Martin Saggers (retired), Justin Kemp Overseas player For the second year in a row a deal to bring in Stuart Clark has fallen apart at a late stage, this time because of his ongoing fitness problems. The Sri Lanka leg-spinner Malinga Bandara, a connection from Farbrace's last job, arrives halfway through the season. Key player The top order is stacked with run-scorers, but the bowling, as Farbrace admits, looks thin. That being so, much will hinge on the form of both Robbie Joseph and Amjad Khan, a potentially potent new ball pair if only they could both stay fit. Which neither is at the moment. Ashes factor Joe Denly seemed to slip back rather than step forward as the international winter wore on, though he is only a strong season away from re-establishing himself. He missed out on selection for the world Twenty20, unlike James Tredwell, who looks likely to tour Australia as back-up to Graeme Swann. Prediction for 2010 Seventh in Division 1. Key's leadership and the sheer strength of the batting should ensure that they are able to stay in games, but unless their fast bowlers fire they will struggle to win them. The uncertainty over the overseas player, not helped by the state of their finances, won't be helping put the players' minds at ease.