Kent have announced the signing of Australian bowler Doug Bollinger as overseas player for the 2014 season.
32-year-old Bollinger brings a wealth of experience with him to The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, having featured in 12 tests, 39 ODIs and 2 T20 internationals for Australia, and has a first class career bowling average of 28.15.
A left-arm seamer who is able to swing the ball, and has been reported to have been bowling quicker-than-ever for New South Wales in 2013; Bollinger was on standby for the home side for much of the recent Ashes series Down Under, where England on the receiving end of a 5-0 whitewash.
Bollinger has not featured for Australia in tests since the second Ashes test of the 2010/11 series in Adelaide.
Doug Bollinger commented on joining Kent; “I am very excited about the opportunity to play with Kent. I feel I am bowling as well as I ever have, and look forward to being able to contribute both on and off the field. I have had quite a few chats with Jimmy Adams and can’t wait to get over there and rip in.”
Kent Cricket Head Coach, Jimmy Adams commented on the announcement; “We are all excited and pleased to have Doug coming to Kent for the 2014 season. Doug is an extremely talented player who is bringing a wealth of experience, having performed successfully at all levels and across all formats. We are confident he will make a positive contribution to Kent Cricket in the season ahead.”
Having featured prominently in the IPL in 2011 and 2012, Bollinger went unsold in the auction for 2014, meaning he is available for the entirety of the County season – something that is understood to have made him a particularly attractive proposition to Kent.
Bollinger has one previous spell as an overseas player in County Cricket, having featured for Worcestershire in 2007, during which time he took 16 wickets at 44.56. However, he is widely seen as having vastly improved since this period, which also came prior to him making his international bow.
The Australian will be available for all three formats of cricket and will be at Kent for the entire 2014 campaign.