Bexhill boosted by overseas ace

Craig Ervine, whose elder sibling Sean represented Zimbabwe, will be the Division Two club's overseas player for the coming campaign.

Bexhill's honorary secretary Hamish Russell said: "We're happy to get him over. He's the sort of player we're looking for. He's a genuine all-rounder, someone who's going to give us something in both forms of the game."

Craig Ervine - Bexhill's first ever Zimbabwean overseas player - is a batting all-rounder who has played first class cricket for both Midlands and Zimbabwe A.

The former Zimbabwe under-19s international, now 21 and a qualified coach, is also an off-spin bowler and a very good fielder.

He is a determined young man and since being snubbed by the Zimbabwe Cricket Union has decided to set his goals on playing county cricket.

Craig plans to be in situ by the time of Bexhill's first scheduled pre-season friendly against Hastings Priory on Saturday April 14.

There are likely to be some friendly faces awaiting him upon his arrival because there are tentative links between the Ervine family and Bexhill's very own Zimbabwean household, the Johnsons, with whom he will be accommodated.

His signing came about as a result of a chance conversation between Bexhill fast bowler Ian Ellis and Sean Ervine.

Sean played in five Tests and 42 One Day Internationals between 2001-04 before becoming one of the rebel players in dispute with the Zimbabwe Cricket Union.