Rabada: I’ve loved it at Kent

On the eve of his final Kent appearance, fast bowler Kagiso Rabada claims the experience from his time at the club will prove invaluable.

Tomorrow (Friday’s) crucial visit of Essex to Canterbury will be the South African’s sixth and final Natwest T20 Blast appearance for the Spitfires, while his battling performance in this week’s Championship draw with Sussex at Tunbridge Wells was his second in red-ball cricket since arriving at the end of June.

On a batsman-friendly surface, Rabada’s efforts over the seven hottest sessions of the summer led skipper Sam Northeast to say: “Rabada is honestly one of the best bowlers I have seen at Kent down the years.

“On a pitch like that, with almost nothing happening he’s making it talk. He’s a handful on any pitch.”

The 21-year-old heads home to South Africa to prepare for the New Zealand Test series next month having taken a wicket in every appearance in Kent colours and admitted: “It’s been great. I’ve enjoyed it both on the field and off the field.

“I’ve played some good cricket with a good bunch of guys. It’s been a good experience.

“The level of cricket is the same as back home but the cricket culture is different here.”

Rabada hailed a magnificent team effort to try and engineer victory at the sun-drenched Nevill Ground this week, on a track which offered little help to bowlers on any of the four days.

Rabada and his colleagues spent seven sessions in the field in the hottest conditions of their summer so far in an attempt to claim 20 wickets and Rabada admitted: “Behind the scenes people are complaining but it’s all in good spirits – it’s all banter. We try and enjoy and laugh at times when we feel we’re dropping in energy.”

Temperatures on the field reached 32C on Tuesday and Rabada said: “It’s similar to South Africa. I am used to the heat but it’s never easy. A hot day is a hot day.

“It’s never easy in the sun. There’s lots of toiling in the middle. We worked hard.”

He added: “You have to think a bit more on your feet here. There is not much assistance, You have to be patient. Every wicket has something in it to help you get a wicket but maybe this one has not as much as you’d like.”

Meanwhile, Matt Coles was back in training this week after an extended absence from action for internal disciplinary reasons but could return to the side in place of Rabada for Sunday’s Royal London One-day Cup clash with Middlesex at Lord’s (11am).

Daniel-bell-drummond and Sam Billings remain absent on England Lions duty.