FILLING your boots at the start of the season is the best possible way to win friends and influence people when it comes to cricket – just ask Kent’s new signing Martin van Jaarsveld.

The 30-year-old South African followed his two centuries on club championship debut earlier in the week with a match-winning 69 not out in Sunday’s rain-shortened victory over Leicestershire Foxes.

In front of the Sky Sports cameras van Jaarsveld showed his international pedigree with a no-nonsense, common sense approach sadly lacking in Kent’s run chases of recent summers.

Playing each bowler and every ball on its merits – the first rule of batsmanship – he nurdled Leicestshire’s bread and butter attack around the St Lawrence outfield to hit 69 from 98 balls and with only six boundaries.

It was never a flash innings, but it was hugely effective in ensuring his side were well ahead on Duckworth/Lewis terms once the umpires abandoned play 11.1 overs from the scheduled close.

Chasing the Foxes 214 for eight, Kent appeared up against it after losing both their England Test stars inside the opening six overs.

Rob Key (1) shouldered arms to one that cut back to hit his off stump then Geraint Jones (14) pushed forward only to go leg before to Charlie Dagnall.

Vice-skipper Matt Walker (23) helped steady the ship by adding 72 for the third wicket, but as the skies darkened he went down the pitch only to be stumped by his former team-mate Paul Nixon.

David Fulton promoted himself to bat at five and, as he had done in the championship clash with Warwickshire, formed a superb partnership with van Jaarsveld by adding 49 in desperate conditions.

Persistent drizzle and leaden skies made it tough for both bats yet Fulton added a useful 28 before mis-hitting to extra cover to make it 144 for four.

But when van Jaarsveld stroked a four from Charle Willoughby’s fifth ball of the 33rd over he helped put Spitfires six ahead of the rate and clinched victory once officials Nigel Llong and George Sharp offered bad light seconds later.

The South African left the field to a deserved ovation and for Kent, having lost out to rain at Derby last weekend, justice had been done.

"I felt as though I’d not had a bat in my hands for weeks at the start there because the ball was jagging around all over the place," said van Jaarsveld after the win.

"Then when it was drizzling late on I knew we were just ahead of the rate but every over that started made it like a new game and I was just trying to stay one step ahead.

"Lose a wicket at that stage and it puts huge pressure on the guys, but Dave Fulton came in and took the load off my shoulders and we just about did enough."

Earlier, The Foxes total had been based around a lucky 62 from Dinesh Mongia who, having been given lives on 10 and 14, looked the only class act of the side.

He eventually fell to Martin Saggers, who also accounted for second top-scorer Darren Maddy (40) to finish with flattering figures of three for 46.

Kent return to championship action on Wednesday when they travel to Bristol to take on Gloucestershire.