Hampshire have signed South African all-rounder Kyle Abbott as their overseas player for 2014.

The 26 year-old was man of the match on his Test debut, when he took 7-29 against Pakistan last February, and will be available all season for Hampshire, bar the first LV County Championship game against Worcestershire.

A replacement for the injured and now retired Jacques Kallis, he finished with the outstanding match figures of 9-68 in his only Test appearance so far.

He has not played in any of South Africa’s four subsequent Tests since starring as a second-change bowler at Centurion.

A fast-medium bowler and right-handed batsman, he also played two one-day internationals and one Twenty20 international against Pakistan last March.

And he has an impressive first-class record, with 165 first-class wickets at just 21.9 apiece and 1,024 runs at 19.32, mainly for the Dolphins, where he has been playing alongside England discard Graham Onions during the current South African season under the tutelage of former South Africa star Lance Klusener.

But apart from five Second Eleven Championship appearances for Somerset while playing for Clevedon from 2006-8 - including a wicketless debut against Hampshire at Basingstoke - this will be his first experience of county cricket.

He was recommended by former Hampshire batsman Neil McKenzie, who was in the Lions side against whom Abbott took 6-46 in his last first-class outing last month.