Kent's Jimmy Adams during their pre-season friendly against Galmorgan at the St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury, 27th March 2012.

Kent cricket coach has much to give game says star-studded team’s boss

JIMMY Adams’ initial success with Kent has come as no surprise to the man who worked with him for much of the past decade.

The Kent coach spent over 10 years with the Maidstone-based Lashings World XI before moving to the St Lawrence Ground this season, and his former chairman David Folb says he’s amazed Adams was on the market for so long.

“Jimmy will go right to the very top,” Folb said. “He was always very interested in coaching. A few seasons ago we had Jimmy and Andy Flower here at the same time and they were very much like a brains trust.

“I just don’t understand why nobody snapped him up beforehand.”

While Flower went on to become England’s head coach, aside from a spell with West Indies under-19s, Adams didn’t land a major coaching role until Kent came calling.

“I think Kent have made a phenomenally good choice in appointing him,” Folb said. “He has a tremendous knowledge of the game and has exceptional management skills.

“In all the years he spent with us nobody ever had a bad word to say about him because he’s just such a great guy.”

Lashings were due to play in Kent this week, but their annual fixture with Sutton Valence School had to be cancelled, apparently due to poor ticket sales.

Folb declined to comment on the cancellation, but the team will be back in the county next Friday when they take on a Dartford Schools XI at Hesketh Park.