Cricket: Van der Merwe joins Somerset

TAUNTON: Somerset have signed all-rounder Roelof van der Merwe for the first half of their Twenty20 campaign. The 26-year-old South African will fill in for Kieron Pollard, who will miss the first eight group matches while away on West Indies international duty. “Roelof is a big-hitting batsman, excellent fielder and bowls slow left-arm deliveries,” said director of cricket Brian Rose. “Knowing that Kieron wasn’t going to be available for a while, we looked at other options in terms of an overseas player, who could bat at six, field well and also bowl effectively in the tournament.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 31^st, 2011.