Hampshire and Kent will both be vying to win the Aon Trophy for the first time when they meet in the final of this year's competition at Canterbury on Monday, September 6. (Reserve day - Tuesday, September 7.)

Kent will be appearing in their third final after losing at this stage before in 1988 and 1989. Hampshire were losing finalists in 1987.

After rain prevented a conclusion to this week's semi-finals, both teams progressed to the final by virtue of a better record than their opponents in the qualifying matches.

Sponsored by Aon Risk Services and now in its fourteenth season, the 50-overs-a-side competition is open to the 18 First Class Counties plus a Minor Counties XI and MCC Young Cricketers.

Each County is allowed to field no more than three capped players in the competition - nor more than three players over the age of 25 in any one match.

To date, a number of county cricketers have gone on to play for England after appearing in an Aon Trophy Final including six current England Test players - Mark Butcher, Nasser Hussain, Darren Maddy Phil Tufnell, Alex Tudor and Graham Thorpe.

The ECB's Director of Cricket Operations, John Carr, said: ``The Aon Trophy is an important part of the cricket calendar. It provides 2nd XI cricketers with ideal preparation for first team one-day cricket which is very often the route by which they progress to the full county side.''

Previous winners of the Aon Trophy

1986 : Northamptonshire (beat Essex)
1987 : Derbyshire (beat Hampshire)
1988 : Yorkshire (beat Kent)
1989 : Middlesex (beat Kent)
1990 : Lancashire (beat Somerset)
1991 : Nottinghamshire (beat Surrey)
1992 : Surrey (beat Northamptonshire)
1993 : Leicestershire (beat Sussex)
1994 : Yorkshire (beat Leicestershire)
1995 : Leicestershire (beat Gloucestershire)
1996 : Leicestershire (beat Durham)
1997: Surrey (beat Gloucestershire)
1998: Northants (beat Derbyshire)

For further information contact:

Andrew Walpole
ECB Media Relations Officer
phone: 0171 4321252