Kent sign South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada

Kent have signed South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada for a spell in June and July.

The Johannesburg-born paceman impressed against England on their tour, taking 22 wickets in three Tests and nine wickets in four one-day internationals.

Rabada said:“I will play hard and try my best. I want to learn from the experience – particularly bowling in different conditions. Most of all I am looking forward to enjoying the experience.”

He will join Kent in late June after South Africa’s tri-series against Australia and West Indies in the Caribbean until he is due to report back for international duty against New Zealand in August subject to Cricket South Africa issuing therequisite‘No Objection Certificate’.

Rabada is in line to make his NatWest T20 Blast debut against Sussex Sharks at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence on Thursday 30 June and is in contention to face Essex Eagles (away, July 1), Somerset (away, July 7), Gloucestershire (away, July 8), Surrey (Tunbridge Wells, July 15) and Essex Eagles (The Spitfire Ground, July 22).

During his stay, there are County Championship matches against Essex (Chelmsford, July 3-6) and Sussex (Tunbridge Wells, July 17-20) as well as a Royal London One-Day Cup match against Middlesex (Lord's, July 24).

Kent Cricket chairman George M Kennedy CBE said: “We’ve all been hugely impressed by Kagiso in the recent series against England and I’m looking forward to seeing him playing for Kent this summer.

“He follows in the footsteps of a number of South Africans and I hope he enjoys his spell at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence andthat Kent will become his county of choice for this very promisingyoung bowler in future years.”

Tickets and memberships for 2016 are now on sale atwww.kentcricketshop.co.uk

RABADA FACTS

BornMay 25, 1995 in Johannesburg, South Africa

Played for Gauteng, Lions, South Africa Under 19s, South Africa A and South Africa

Won Under-19 World Cup with South Africa in 2014, took 6-25 v Australia in semi-final and a total of 14 wickets in the tournament at an average of 10.28 and an economy rate of 3.1

On his one-day international debut, Rabada took 6/16 against Bangladesh including a hat-trick

He holds the record for best bowling figures in South Africa domestic cricket with 14/105 for Lions against Dolphins

In the recent series against England, he became the youngest South African to take a ten-wicket haul in Test cricket – his 13/144 the best bowling figures by a South African on home soil.

20 first-class matches: 84 wickets at an average of 23 (five 5-wicket hauls, 2 ten-wicket matches)

31 List A matches: 49 wickets at an average of 29.08 and an economy rate of 5.21

16 Twenty20 matches: 20 wickets at an average of 20.80 and an economy rate of 7.17