PACEMAN RABADA READY TO HELP KENT’S FORTUNES

South African pace bowler Kagiso Rabada hopes his time at Kent will make him a better player. Rabada only turned 21 last month and despite only bursting onto the scene 18 months ago, he has already six Test caps, 16 T20I and 20 ODI appearances, the last of which last Friday saw him take 3-31 as South Africa lost against the West Indies in Bridgetown. Rabada burst onto the scene at the under-19 World Cup two years ago and has already claimed his national record for First Class match figures (14-105) and became the youngest South African to take 10 wickets in a Test, as well as claiming 6-16 – including a hat-trick – on his ODI debut. Despite that, he said: “I don’t feel under any pressure. Hopefully, I will leave a better player for the experience of playing in different conditions and on different surfaces.” Rabada is set to make his bow in the televised NatWest T20 Blast South Group against Sussex Sharks tonight (Thursday 6.30pm). He arrived in Canterbury on Tuesday when Kent’s Championship clash with Derbyshire was brought to a premature close by heavy rain. He admitted: “I was expecting it, players told me what it might be like. It’s cool, though, it’s not like I’ve never seen rain.” Rabada is set to feature in at least six T20s and two ODC games as well as the Championship clash with Sussex at Tunbridge Wells from July 17 before leaving to join up with South Africa before their home Test series against Tom Latham’s New Zealand in August.