The telephone lines have been inundated with callers seeking tickets for the final against Surrey, but the club have been shocked by scenes rarely witnessed at any county ground.

Fighting broke out among about 100 Kent and Northamptonshire supporters in the road by the Bat and Ball public house outside the main gates.

A Canterbury police spokesman said that an officer had been injured, one man had been arrested and an offensive weapon seized. Prompt intervention by the police, assisted by an off-duty officer, apparently defused the situation.

Stuart Anderson, Kent's secretary, praised the action of the police and expressed regret at the incident, blaming drunkenness.

He said: ``It's something administrators of cricket have to take note of because the potential is there to take in alcohol, and the excitement brings in a younger generation. Setting up a system of reducing alcohol intake is not easy, and there is a custom in cricket of tailgate picnicking.

``Large volumes of alcohol is the problem, but we don't want to be in the position of searching car boots for it. It would also be difficult to take six-packs of lager from pedestrians. There were no problems inside the ground. The crowd were good humoured; noisy, but fun.''