By Hayley Robinson

A children's hospice has teamed up with Kent County Cricket in a unique partnership deal that is making cricket history.

Instead of a commercial sponsor Demelza Hospice Care for Children will be printed on Kent’s county championship shirts for the next two years.

It is believed to be the first time a charity has taken the coveted space on a cricket club’s team kit although the move echoes Spanish football giants Barcelona, whose shirts bear the Unicef crest, and Premier League side Aston Villa, who work with Acorns Children’s Hospice.

The club approached the charity with the idea after players and staff developed a strong relationship with Demelza over the past year.

Jamie Clifford, Kent’s acting chief executive officer, said: “Through the partnership KCCC has secured the value of the championship naming rights, and I am confident it will open up many more commercial opportunities in the future. I believe that this goes further than a traditional sponsorship deal, and expresses something of what a special club Kent is.”

Ted Gladdish, chief executive of Demelza Hospice Care for Children, said: “This opportunity will help us to reach the extra children who desperately need our help. Kent cricket is helping to make this a reality for many of them.”

Kent County Cricket Club and Demelza Children’s Hospice are planning a series of events that will inform and celebrate the partnership on a local and national level throughout the next two years.