Paul Farbrace hailed the impact of loan signing David Balcombe after Kent’s 21-run LV= County Championship Division 2 defeat to Surrey at the Kia Oval.

Balcombe, signed for a month from Hampshire, only joined the squad at the hotel the night before the game but finished with match figures of 7-143

That included a return of 5-63 in the second innings and Farbrace, Kent’s director of cricket, said the 26-year-old seamer fully justified the faith put him by the county.

Farbrace explained: "To be fair he’s someone we mentioned earlier in the season about trying to get on loan but nothing came of it and then Simon Willis saw him last week bowling against our second team

"When I rang Simon on Friday after the (Sussex) game and said were struggling for Sunday he said why don’t you re-visit Balcombe.

"It proved a good shout. He’s a big lad, hits the seam and gets it to swing and he just bowled a good line and length throughout the game.

"He bowled a beauty to get rid of Mark Ramprakash in the first innings. He’s a reasonably experienced cricketer.

"He knows a few of our lads having played against them and there were several who played in the seceond team game last week including Sam Billings, who he hit on the head and then got out next ball!"

Farbrace also said Alex Blake’s knock of 96 in Kent’s first innings total of 250 was a bonus – as the 22-year-old left-hander had not originally been down to play.

He added: "Blakey played well which was a bonus considering half-an-hour or so before the start he was not going to play.

"Adam Riley was playing and then Blakey drilled one back in the nets, hit Riley on the hand and broke his finger. So he got left out and Blakey, though being here, then came into the side.That’s how it works out some times."

Picture: Anthony Roberts