Sean Dickson hopes the sparkling form which earned him a Kent contract will be enough to catapult him into the first team before the end of the season.

The 23-year-old Johannesburg-born batsman – who holds a UK passport as his mum is from Beckenham –began the season playing in the East Anglian Premier League for Suffolk side Woolpit CC but hopes to end it in the LV= County Championship.

Dickson – who has played First Class and List A cricket for Northerns in South Africa – was recommended to Kent by an agent and made his mark in May by hitting 135 and 65 in a trial game against a strong Yorkshire XI, including England ODI bowler Liam Plunkett, at Polo Farm, Canterbury.

Dickson put pen to paper on a deal until September 2016 earlier this month and after scoring seven centuries in three forms of the game for the 2nd XI – including four in the last five games – the clamour to hand him his first team bow has grown.

Dickson admitted: “I’d love to get a chance. I’ve been told a few things from (high performance director) Simon Willis and (head coach) Jimmy Adams but it’s getting your hopes up for something that’s not in your control – it’s hard.

“I feel like I’ve put in the performances for that chance.

“As long as I stay as level-headed and humble as I can, when that chance does come along, hopefully I can grab it with both hands.”

Dickson – who also bowls medium pace – says he believes that chance might initially come in red-ball cricket, although he remains hopeful of one-day involvement, too.

He said: “It’s difficult because our one-day squad is doing so well but I’d love a gig in the one-day cup.

“I’ve gone quite well in a couple of games I’ve played in the 2nds in that format but I think I might get a go in the Championship first.”

Dickson said he felt proud and privileged to be part of such a great club.

He said: “I started off at a club in Suffolk but my agent got in touch with a few guys at Kent and got me a trial game against Yorkshire which I did quite well in.

“From there it all took off. With the scores coming in like they were, I was always hoping something would be offered to me. I was always chatting with my agent and Jimmy and Simon – it was reassuring hearing it from the first team coach and academy coach.

“It took a while but it all came through as I was hoping.”

Dickson previously trialled at Somerset during an impressive club cricket summer in 2010 but said the success of this summer: “I put down to form, luck and taking my chances when I had them.”

He added: “If I look at my previous time five years ago –even then I didn’t do too badly.

“This all comes down to how the club was performing and the club wasn’t doing as well with the bat as maybe they were hoping.

“I just put in the best performances I could and seven hundreds down the line, here we stand. I am honoured to be at a club like this with great guys and great coaches. I am proud and overwhelmed.”

Dickson also revealed he was proud to follow in the footsteps of countrymen Martin van Jaarsveld, Ryan McLaren, Andrew Hall, Morne Morkel, Justin Kemp, Wayne Parnell, Makhaya Ntini, Vernon Philander and Tyron Henderson in signing for Kent.

He said: “A few greats of the game you could almost say. I didn’t know too much about it when I first trialled here but as I got to know the lads, they let me in on all the previous South Africans that were at the club.

“I’ve been lucky enough to speak to a few of them and to be a part of that is great.

“I’d love to win silverware like some of those did but one step at a time. We’ll see what comes our way but I’ll do the best I can do for the club.”