Sam Northeast during a rare dry spell in last spring's pre-season

A training camp in the Caribbean will provide the highlight of Kent’s preparations for the new cricket season.

The 10-day trip to Antigua will provide 14 players and four staff with reliable conditions to accumulate quality outdoor practice, which would not be certain in the unpredictable English spring.

Several younger players will miss out due to commitments to university studies and England Under-19 duties, while Geraint Jones will be representing Papua New Guinea at the ICC World T20 Qualification tournament in Dubai.

Kent skipper Rob Key said: “With our first championship match very early in April [5], against Yorkshire at Headingley, we needed to guarantee that we could get uninterrupted pre-season training, on good wickets.

“Sadly this can’t be taken for granted in England and amongst the various options available to us, Antigua ticked the most boxes.”

Jamie Clifford, Kent’s chief executive, revealed earlier this month the club were considering an overseas trip following on from a camp in Dubai last year. It was dependent on securing a competitive rate and the club thanked assistance from the island’s tourist board, which included paying for a player and staff member to visit the facilities before agreeing to the visit.

The camp will also provide new head coach Jimmy Adams, a former West Indies captain, the chance to get to know his players better.

On their return Kent will play three home warm-up games. Middlesex will visit Beckenham, while Canterbury hosts one-day and two-day games against Glamorgan.

Kent’s pre-season:

March 7-17: Training camp in Antigua

March 23: Kent v Middlesex, Beckenham

March 27: Kent v Glamorgan, Canterbury

March 28-29: Kent v Glamorgan, Canterbury

Photo by ADY KERRY