Kent handed double boost ahead of County Championship match against Yorkshire as George Linde and Jack Leaning return

Kent have been handed a double boost after suffering back-to-back home County Championship Division 1 defeats.

Red-ball captain Jack Leaning and South African all-rounder George Linde are both set to feature for the first time this season when they take on Yorkshire at Headingley from today.

Leaning suffered a hamstring injury in the build-up to the season opener at Essex while Linde has been watching on from the sidelines with a groin problem.

All-rounder Grant Stewart has been recalled after a brief loan stint at Sussex following an injury to Australian Jackson Bird (shoulder) in the heavy defeat to Hampshire last week.

Linde can’t wait to get his Kent career going.

“It’s been pretty good so far, just frustrating that I’ve been injured,” he said.

“It’s one of those things unfortunately. I just can’t wait to get back on the park again.”

While frustrated to not have an opportunity to make an immediate impact, Linde, who arrived in Kent straight after his involvement in the CSA Provincial One-Day Challenge competition in his home country ended, accepts a short break from the game may be a blessing in disguise for him in some ways.

The 30-year-old added: “Maybe in a month or two, I’ll look back and say this break was good for me because I haven’t had a break from cricket really in the last few years.

“At least it’s nice to watch some county cricket. I can see how it is and get the feeling about how they go about it.”

Kent have certainly shown plenty of faith in Linde, who has never played county cricket before.

He’s signed an all-format deal until the end of next season.

On how the move came about, Linde said: “My agent told me that Kent were interested and [director of cricket] Paul Downton was going to give me a call.

"I