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Fleming faces a battle in command at Kent

Matthew Fleming's military training could be the ideal preparation for the responsibilities of captaincy. He can only hope, however, that his first season in charge at Kent enables him to concentrate on waging war on the opposition rather than pacifying internal factions.

Steve Marsh, the longest-serving player on the staff, was the chief victim of a mediocre 1998. Marsh's inspiring leadership the previous year - when Kent finished second in three of the four main competitions - counted for little in the autumn inquests and his removal from the job caused considerable ill-feeling.

The close-knit community of 1997 were able to smooth over the uneven contributions of the top-order batting, but there was no similar rescue package on offer last year. Carl Hooper, though topping Kent's championship averages with something to spare, crucially failed to ignite their first-innings efforts - they mustered only 18 batting bonus points - and his aloofness contrasted significantly with Paul Strang's rapid induction into the team ethic of 1997.

Kent played a waiting game before announcing last week that Andrew Symonds would be their overseas player this season. Symonds's ability to play innings of instinctive brilliance was apparent when he turned out for Gloucestershire in 1995, but he was far less successful the following summer - the lesson from the Hooper era is that Kent need consistency as much as spontaneity.

Fleming is convinced that Symonds will subscribe to the ``new culture'' at the county, based on a ``much greater acceptance of individual responsibility'' and the refusal to blame others, poor luck or poor pitches.

``A couple of players struggled under the weight of expectation last season,'' said Fleming, ``but we're not going to be one of the strongly fancied sides this time and that could help us.''

It is hard to believe that batsmen of the ability of Trevor Ward, this year's beneficiary, Alan Wells and Matthew Walker can struggle as badly as they did last year, when each failed to notch a championship century.

There will certainly be more competition for places at the top of the order. David Fulton should bounce back after last season's slump in form, while Robert Key and Ed Smith are potentially the best pair of young openers in the country.

Smith made sure that cricket took a back seat to his finals at Cambridge last year (result first class honours), but few doubt that he has an outstanding career ahead. Another long-term bet for success is 17-year-old Richard Clinton, left-handed and an opener like his father Grahame, but also blessed with greater natural ability.

If the smooth running of Kent's batting machine is likely to depend largely on form, their effectiveness as a bowling side will be the product of fitness and confidence. Martin McCague and Min Patel were short of both last season and the result was a void in the pace department, and the lack of a match-winning slow left-armer.

Patel finally appears to have scaled the mountain of his painful two-year rehabilitation from a torn cruciate ligament under the seasoned eye of bowling coach Eddie Hemmings. Following Hooper's departure a regular place should be guaranteed, while McCague will be hoping this season will be free of niggling injuries.

No player fell further below expectations last year than Ben Phillips, the 6 ft 6 in seam bowler. He fell victim to ``second season syndrome'' - his 13 championship wickets cost almost 65 apiece - but he has wintered fruitfully, at the Dennis Lillee bowling academy in Madras and playing club cricket in Western Australia.

Mark Ealham's accurate medium pace and flexible tempo batting will be missed for the duration of the World Cup, but only Dean Headley seems likely to figure in the England selectors' thoughts for the four-match Test series against New Zealand.

Team Details & First-Class fixtures

Staff: M J Banes, M Broadhurst, R S Clinton, M A Ealham, M V Fleming (capt), J A Ford, D P Fulton, D W Headley, J B Hockley, W J House, R W T Key, N J Llong, M J McCague, S A Marsh (wkpr), D D Masters, M M Patel, B J Phillips, D A Scott, E T Smith, J B deC Thompson, M J Walker, C D Walsh, T R Ward, A P Wells, S C Willis (wkpr).

New players: M J Banes, M Broadhurst, R S Clinton, D A Scott.

Departures: G R Cowdrey (retd), C L Hooper, A P Igglesden (retd), E J Stanford.

Beneficiary: T R Ward.

1998 record Championship

11th (P17 W5 L5 D7)
AXA League: 5th (P17 W8 L6 NR3)
B & H Cup: Lost in qtr-finals to Leicestershire.

First-Class Fixtures

April
Tues 13 Middlesex (Lord's). Wed 21 Hampshire (Southampton). Wed 28 Derbyshire (Canterbury).

May
Fri 14 Durham (Stockton). Thurs 20 Cambridge University, (Fenner's). Wed 26 Leicestershire (Canterbury).

June
Wed 2 Surrey (Tunbridge Wells). Wed 9 Sussex (Hove). Tues 15 Glamorgan (Canterbury). Wed 30 Warwickshire (Maidstone).

July
Fri 9 Worcestershire (Worcester). Thurs 15 New Zealand (Canterbury). Wed 21 Nottinghamshire (Trent Bridge).

Aug
Wed 4 Essex (Canterbury). Wed 18 Somerset (Taunton). Tues 24 Northamptonshire (Canterbury).

Sept
Wed 1 Yorkshire (Scarborough). Wed 8 Lancashire (Old Trafford). Wed 15 Gloucestershire (Canterbury).