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.
Gravesend Cricket Club
Gravesend Cricket Club is a cricket club which currently plays in Division 2 of the Kent Cricket League. The club was formed in 1880 and plays at the Bat and Ball Ground which has been around for over 150 years (since 1848). First Class Cricket was played at "The Bat" (as it is affectionately known) by Kent County Cricket Club and its Second XI. The highest ever score on the ground came from W.G.Grace with 257 for Gloucestershire in 1895, and the most wickets in a match coming from Tich Freeman for Kent in 1931. The club currently has four running league teams, as well as a 5th XI which play friendly matches. Also, the club operates an exciting youth section with teams ranging from U11 to U17 (with the exceptions of U14 and 16). In Autumn 2011, the club was awarded the ECB "Clubmark" status which acknowledges the colts section of the club.