QUEENSLAND all-rounder Andrew Symonds is raring to go and intent on helping Kent build on their excellent start to the season.

The 28-year-old Birmingham-born player arrived in England on Monday, just 48 hours after getting married in his adopted Australia.

Back in the nets at St Lawrence on Tuesday preparing for a fourth stint with the county, Symonds revealed he is delighted to be back amongst his ‘Kentish mates’.

“I feel rested, not sure about the fitness though, so I guess we’ll find that out this weekend,” said Symonds, already looking ahead to Sunday’s game against Lancashire at Old Trafford.

“It’ll be a great way to start for me, we had a very good game of championship cricket against Lancashire in Blackpool last year.

“They have two very good overseas players there in Hoops (Carl Hooper) and my old mate Stuey Law, so it should be a very good game of cricket.

“The Kent boys are firing at the minute and I may be lucky to get a game,” added Symonds, with tongue firmly in cheek. To be honest I’m looking forward to a game of cricket again. I haven’t played for a month and I’m going into it feeling nice and fresh.”

Symonds concedes he has suffered a winter of highs and lows, winning his Baggie Green Test cap and getting married either side of being dropped from the Test tour of Zimbabwe.

But he remains phlegmatic about being axed, suggesting that the set back will just inspire him to better Kent performances in a bid to win back his Test spot from Simon Katich.

“It happens sometimes in cricket that things don’t go as you plan,” he stressed. “They were three real good Tests over in Sri Lanka and I guess, diplomatically, you could say I had a bit of misfortune with the bat.

“You do need a bit of luck with decisions and whatever when you are batting over there and it didn’t go my way.

“When you bowled you really had to keep things tight and maintain pressure for six hours. In those conditions the game can swing three ways in a day, it was topsy-turvy cricket, but it was a great experience and I really enjoyed it.”

And Symonds admits that receiving his Australian Test cap will go down as one of the high points of his life.

“It’s hard to put into words, I just went all besozelled sort of thing,” he said. “I guess it’s hard to understand for non-Australians, but getting your ‘baggy green’ just makes you go that way.

“I received mine from AB (Allan Border) and he was a blubbering mess too, they make you go all stupid somehow, but it was a great day. I carry that cap around with me so it doesn’t get lost or stolen.”

Symonds and his new bride, Brooke, missed out on a honeymoon to link up with Kent, but Symonds joked that there were more pressing reasons for jetting back to St Lawrence so soon after the ceremony.

“I have to pay for that wedding dress somehow mate!” he quipped. "Seriously, Brooke has a lot of friends over here now, so she’s just as excited about being here all season as I am. We’re really looking forward to being here.”