Kent have allowed their Friends Provident Trophy quarter final hero Neil Dexter to go out on loan to Essex for the next month.

The 23-year-old right-handed batsman hit an unbeaten 101 to defeat Somerset in Beckenham last Thursday after only being called into the side on the morning of the match as locum for Martin van Jaarsveld.

Dexter, who was born in South Africa, has attracted interest from Middlesex and Essex, but now joins the Eagles for a four-week loan stint.

Having originally ruled out sending the player out, Kent's director of cricket Graham Ford now believes the time is right for Dexter to get some first team experience.

Ford said: "We've been talking with Neil over recent weeks about this and at this point we think it's now right for him.

"He's proved his hunger and desire to play for Kent with that hundred the other day at Beckenham and I dare say he's had a few approaches since.

"It will be good for him to play some first division cricket for a month and improve his skill levels at Twenty20.

"He won't be allowed to play games against us and we can call him back at 24 hours notice if we need him, so it works for both sides, just as it did last year when Martin Saggers went on loan at Chelmsford."