KENT batsman Ed Smith will be hoping his lucky yellow grip and favourite bat continue to produce the goods during England’s crucial fourth Test with South Africa starting in Leeds on Thursday.

Smith, who turned 26 last month, has revealed that changing to a yellow bat grip earlier in the season coincided with the dramatic change of fortunes that led to his July run-spree and eventual England call to make his Test debut in Nottingham.

"I used to use black grips on my Slazenger bats," said England’s 617th cap-winner. "But my last one ripped halfway through our championship match at The Mote last month, so I borrowed a yellow one off Mark Ealham.

"I went on to make two hundreds in the game against Nottinghamshire and needless to say ‘Ealy’ never got his grip back.

"Yes, you could say I’m a fairly superstitious guy and I’ll be hoping this grip will last out the next five days at Headingley.

"My trouble is, my bat-makers Slazenger don’t supply yellow grips, so I’m trying to track a few down in time for Headingley so I’ll have a few to spare."

Smith’s purple-patch of championship run scoring extended onto the international stage with an excellent 64 from 115 balls at Trent Bridge where England secured a thrilling 70-run win to level the series.

While Smith clearly enjoyed surviving his first ball in Test cricket and marking his debut with a half-century, he conceded that the five days in Nottingham were an emotional rollercoaster ride.

He suffered a second innings golden duck after being trapped leg before by Andrew Hall, then saw his side dismissed for paltry 118, before taking a sharp catch at mid-wicket to help England wrap up their sensational win.

He said: "I just looked at it as an exciting and a good game of cricket. I was full of adrenaline throughout the match, but I tried to draw on some of my county experiences because we’ve had a few games like that with Kent in the last couple of years where we’ve been through low-scoring run chases in a fourth innings.

"Of course my luck ran out a little in the second innings, but I’d like to think those experiences with Kent stood me in good stead.

"I’m always nervous before any innings and that was especially true on my Test debut, but you have to remember I’d been padded up and waiting to go out for a long time while Nasser Hussain and Mark Butcher dug in.

"So when I did eventually get out there I was pretty pumped up and just really looking forward to getting on with it."

With the npower series level at one apiece, Smith feels the mood in the England camp could not be better going into Thursday's third rubber.

"It’s one-all with two to play which effectively turns this into a mini Test series now," he added. "With that win behind us we can go up to Headingley knowing that, if we all perform well, we can beat South Africa and take a lead to the last Test at The Oval."

Apart from his Test success, Smith has also been named Frizzell Championship player of the month for July.

Following in the footsteps of team-mate Geraint Jones, who clinched the national award for June, Smith won over the judges by scoring 740 runs in the month, including five championship centuries, at an incredible average of 105.71.

He will be presented with a £750 cheque and certificate during Kent’s championship clash with Surrey starting in Canterbury on Thursday, September 4.