Kent Cricket will be recognising those whose membership subscriptions helped the Club participate in the Bob Willis Trophy and Vitality Blast during the recent pandemic-impacted season, by inviting all 2020 Members and Life Members to have their names featured on the Club’s 2021 County Championship playing shirt.
The shirt will also once again carry the motto of the county, ‘Invicta’, on the back of the shirt collar. Invicta translates from Latin as ‘unconquered’, and the generosity shown by the Club’s Members in these difficult times has ensured that Kent Cricket remains unconquered, during one of the toughest times in the Club’s history.
Kent Cricket’s 2021 County Championship shirt, which features new Elite Partner Black Opal Travel Group as its main sponsor, will therefore be known as the Invicta Shirt – honouring those who accepted that their subscription fees in 2020 be retained by the Club to underpin Kent Cricket’s survival plans.
Alongside Black Opal Travel Group, FGS Plant Ltd. also feature as sponsors of the collar and back of Kent’s first-class playing shirt once more for 2021.
In line with Data Protection regulations, members must confirm their permission for their name to be included on the shirt. Therefore, 2020 Members and Life Members are now invited to fill out a short online form, which will be hosted via Kent Cricket’s website.
Members have a strict deadline of 17:00 on Monday 16th November 2020 to opt-in to having their name on Kent’s 2021 County Championship playing shirt by completing the form.
Next season sees the return of the County Championship, with Kent drawn in Group Three alongside Yorkshire, Lancashire, Sussex and Northamptonshire. The top two teams will go into ‘Division One’ for the chance to be crowned County Champions and to contest the Bob Willis Trophy.
Club Captain, Sam Billings, said: “As a playing squad we have always drawn from the support of our members and we are honoured to have the opportunity to wear the names of those that helped secure the future of our Club.
“The support we have received in the face of the COVID-19 challenges shows what ‘Together, we are Kent’ really means and we are all looking forward to putting in big performances wearing this unique piece of Kent Cricket history next season.”
Chairman, Simon Philip, added: “In the Club’s hour of need, we have been overwhelmed by the generosity and support of our Members, not only through their subscriptions, but also the extraordinary £42,000 of unsolicited additional donations that have been received over the summer.
“The Club meaning so much to so many people makes us even more determined to ensure it survives the current challenges and is in a position to thrive going forward.”
Kent Cricket’s Marketing & Communications Manager, Becca Smith, said: “We wanted to recognise the amazing support that we have received from Kent Cricket members in 2020.
As part of our 150th Year celebrations, our playing shirts in the Bob Willis Trophy this season contained the names of all 219 Capped Players in Kent Cricket’s history to date, featured in very small lettering to comply with ECB regulations on shirt design.
“By using the same design technique, we can provide a very special way of saying thank you to our members, who will also have an opportunity to buy their own replica shirt at an members’ discounted price”