Cape Town - The top of the table Knights have bolstered their ranks for the second half of the Super Smash Twenty20 competition with the signing of former South Africa fast bowler Kyle Abbott.

According to the Stuff website, following the departure of English international Chris Jordan, the defending champions have called on the services of 31-year-old Abbott, who joins ahead of Saturday's match against the Wellington Firebirds at the Basin Reserve.

Abbott has played 11 Tests, 28 ODIs and 21 T20Is for South Africa, but hasn't represented the Proteas since January 2017, after signing a three-year Kolpak deal with Hampshire.

Along with playing for the English county side, Abbott has previous experience in the Indian Premier League, while in the past year he has also featured for the Khulna Titans in the Bangladesh Premier League, the Lahore Qalanders in the Pakistan Super League, and most recently the Durban Heat in the South African Mzansi Super League.

From 128 T20s, the right-arm seamer has 124 wickets at an average of 29.65, with a strike rate of 21.5 and an economy rate of 8.24, and he's hoping he can quickly slot into new conditions, with a side which is in good form.

"The body feels good and it helps that I'm already in T20 mode after my stint with the Durban Heat," he said.

"The team has done so well already, I'm just hoping I can contribute and help push us into the finals."