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.
Eddie Crush
In his later life he served for many years as a Committee Member for the Kent County Cricket Club. Given is natural sense of justice, fair play and knowledge of the game, Crush was invited to serve on the Test and County Cricket Board (TCCB) Disciplinary Committee, which he did for many years in the mid 1980s. As well as being a lifelong member of the Kent County Cricket Club he was also a member (President 1996–2007) of the Kent Hoppers Tie Club which was founded by his very dear cricketing friends Hopper Levett and Les Ames. Crush was also a member of the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club).