Kent County Cricket Club
As the team built around Pilch retired from cricket the fortunes of the club declined, the county sometimes forced to field teams of up to 16 or to combine with other clubs in order to compete. Financial difficulties followed and on 1 March 1859 a second county club was formed in Maidstone to support the Canterbury-based club. The two clubs, the Canterbury club known as East Kent, the Maidstone club as West Kent, co-operated to an extent, although the relationship was later described as "anything but satisfactory". The standard of cricket played by the county side, generally organised by the West Kent club, remained poor and the county found it difficult to attract either the best amateur players or professionals to appear, many amateurs only willing to appear during Canterbury Cricket Week. Financial difficulties also caused problems producing competitive sides. An 1870 meeting chaired by the 3rd Lord Harris at the Bull Inn at Rochester saw the two clubs merge to form the present day Kent County Cricket Club.
Kent County Cricket Club in 2010
In 2010, Kent County Cricket Club competed in Division One of the County Championship, Group C of the 40-over Clydesdale Bank 40 and the South Group of the Friends Provident t20. Kent also hosted three-day first-class matches at the St Lawrence Ground against Loughborough MCCU and the touring Pakistanis. It was the first season in charge for Director of Cricket Paul Farbrace. The club captain was former England batsman Rob Key who had been club captain since 2006. Kent's overseas players were South African fast bowler Makhaya Ntini until late May, and Sri Lankan leg-spinner Malinga Bandara for the rest of the season.