Australian seamer Doug Bollinger hopes his experience will benefit the Kent squad after agreeing a deal to be the club’s overseas player for the entire 2014 season.

The 32-year-old left-arm seamer - who represented his country in all forms of the game from 2009 to 2011 and who was an unused reserve during England’s recent Ashes tour Down Under - revealed Kent skipper Rob Key invited him to sign on at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, via text message.

The New South Wales Blues star - a team-mate of the likes of Michael Clarke and Shane Watson - said: “I got a text from him after Christmas asking what I was up to and would I be interested in coming over to play.

“He said there are some good young bowlers at Kent and it would be good to have another experienced guy around to share some wisdom and help them along.”

Bollinger has 50 Test wickets at an average of under 26 in 12 appearances and has taken 21 wickets at an average of 25 for NSW in their current Sheffield Shield campaign, while he also played for the Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash t20 competition.

He added: “It should be great fun. I am looking forward to it."

Weather-permitting, Kent will begin their campaign on April 13 at Worcestershire, the club where Bollinger spent an ill-fated 2007 season, claiming 16 Championship wickets at an average of 44.

Bollinger admitted: "That was a bit of a tough year. It rained pretty much all summer and we didn’t get as many games as we’d want. It was a bit of a nightmare."

Bollinger expects to arrive in the UK either in late March or early April and added: “It depends on how things go out here. It’s been a long season and we still have two four-day games to go and hopefully a final to play too."

The paceman will be eligible for the whole LV= County Championship, Division 2 programme as well as the t20 and 50-over campaigns.