KENT may delve into the new county loan agreement system to bolster their wicketkeeping resources later this summer.

With No1 choice Geraint Jones likely to be absent with England from May 20, Kent may agree to his understudy Niall O’Brien playing for Ireland in their ICC Trophy qualifiers in the last week in June and first week in July.

Kent’s director of cricket Graham Ford has already tested the loan system in allowing Alamgir Sheriyar’s return to his former county Worcestershire and has confirmed that the county are considering its use again.

The former South African Test coach said: “It’s not an option to use our second overseas card on a wicketkeeper to join us for a week or two, so I can rule out any talk of us being linked with someone like Mark Boucher.

“But the loan scheme could help resolve the situation, but at the moment we would have to loan a player for a month even though Niall will only be away for a week or so while we play our Twenty20 games.

“There is talk that the rules surrounding loan players and the length of time you have to take them may change.

“If the ECB management board agree to change those rules, then it’s something we will consider.

“We understand how keen Ireland are to have Niall for the ICC event and The Irish Cricket Board have offered to help finance a loan should we require one.

“At the same time, the agreement can’t be to Kent’s detriment and we should not be handicapped by allowing two keepers to go on international duty.”

Meanwhile, Ford says the imminent arrival of South African all-rounder Andrew Hall will help boost Kent’s below-par start to the limited overs campaign.

Hall is scheduled to arrive in just under a fortnight and, according to Ford, will come with some points to prove.

He added: “We are constantly thinking about our one-day policy but at the moment we seem caught between a rock and a hard place.

“With the personnel available we either go in with a bowler shy or one batsman short, whichever way we go right now it is a bit of a gamble.

“Andrew will arrive fresh and will be raring to go having played so little cricket in the Caribbean and having him here will greatly help the balance of our limited overs side.”