KENT’S overseas all-rounder Andrew Symonds flies back to Australia today urging his county team-mates to raise their games for the final third of the season.

Symonds suffered his most ineffective match of the season in his farewell appearance against Warwickshire last week when Kent slid to a dismal 10-wicket reverse in his home City of Birmingham, a defeat the English-born, ‘Aussie-raised’ player found hard to swallow.

"It would have been nice to finish on a high, but it’s one of those things and there’s nothing I can do about it now," said a dejected Symonds afterwards. "I feel I had two pretty ordinary decisions in this game but they’re history now. I just hope the guys can bounce back from this.

"Hopefully Steve Waugh will bring an ‘x factor’ to the side and give the boys a little kick forward that they may just need at this stage of the season."

Symonds has already signed a contract to return to St Lawrence as one of two permitted overseas stars next summer, but before departing he sent one final message to the side.

"We’re towards the top in both divisions, which is an achievement, and Kent has produced a Test cricketer in Rob Key, which is great. But I feel we could all have done a little bit better than we have. I for one don’t want to go home next season empty-handed like I am this summer.

"I’m not wanting to sound cocky or big headed here, but I am used to winning things and I sometimes feel that the people at Kent don’t realise how good a side we are."

Symonds now hands over the reigns to Australian Test captain Steve Waugh who makes his Kent debut in Wednesday night's floodlight NUL clash in Canterbury with Leicestershire Foxes.

After a 15-year lay-off from championship cricket, Waugh will make his first-class appearance for the county the following day when Kent start their four-day game with Leicestershire at a revised start time of noon.