Beckenham’s new-look cricket ground will play host to Kent women against Yorkshire on Sunday and Sussex on Bank Holiday Monday (both 11am starts).

Kent have signed Australian all-rounder Kara Sutherland for the upcoming season and she will be in action at Beckenham this weekend to take on the Tykes.

The New South Wales left-armer bowls fast-medium and will bolster the county champions' middle order.

With Kent's England stars likely to be absent for several matches this season during the Women's Ashes series, the 23-year-old will be vital as the county seek to claim a record seventh county crown.

Sutho, as her team-mates call her, trained with the Women's squad at the newly renovated County Ground in Beckenham last weekend and is looking forward to her first taste of county cricket there on Sunday.

The new signing said: “I can’t wait for the new season to start.

“It promises to be an exciting summer with the Ashes taking place in England and I’m hoping the increased coverage of the women’s series will be a boost to the game.

“With our international players missing later in the season, we’ll need to be at our best to retain the Royal London Championship and win the NatWest Women's Twenty20.

“It’ll be great to play our home games at Kent’s first-class grounds at Canterbury and Beckenham and I hope Kent Members and Supporters can come along and support us.”

Sutherland will join a largely homegrown squad including six Kent Cricket Academy graduates Tammy Beaumont, Deanna Cooper, Alice Davidson-Richards, Tash Farrant, Grace Gibbs and vice-captain Lydia Greenway.

There will be two further new additions in 2015 with teenage newcomers Lottie Bryan and Emily Thompson joining the senior squad for the first time.

In 2014, Charlotte Edwards led the side to victory in the Royal London 50-over competition and third in the NatWest Women's T20.

The side will wear the Samurai Sportswear Royal London One-Day kit with the logo of Major Sponsor of Women's Cricket, Canterbury Christ Church University.

Entry to see Kent Women take on Yorkshire and Sussex at Beckenham this Bank Holiday weekend is free for Kent members and Canterbury Christ Church University students.

U16s also enter free and over 16s pay £5.