BROMYARD Cricket Club have pulled off a major coup in signing former Sri Lanka international Dinusha Fernando for the new season in the Worcestershire County League.

The all-rounder will arrive at the Flaggoners Green club later this month as the team look to make their assault on the Division One title from April 30.

Fernando, who played two Tests and a one one-day international in 2003 against England, will also coach the club’s under 13s.

During his career, he has scored 4,532 first-class runs at an average of 28.50, including five centuries and 27 fifties. He has also taken 356 wickets at 24.55, including 19 five-wicket hauls.

In Fernando’s only one-day international, he claimed the wickets of former England captain Michael Vaughan and current skipper Andrew Strauss.

The 31-year-old, who is currently playing first-class cricket for Sri Lanka Air Force and has scored 621 runs at 47.76 and taken 21 wickets at 21.85, will also be joined in the Bromyard side by former Uganda under 19s captain Clive Kyangungu.

Bromyard captain Edd Oliver said Fernando is looking forward to playing for the Herefordshire club.

“He stayed up until 4am to make sure that the contract was all signed,” Oliver said. “We were looking to bring back former professional Lundi Mbane for the season but he was injured playing in South Africa.

“So we started looking around for someone else and we saw that Dinusha was still available and we are delighted that he is coming over.

“Our chairman, Ash Bullock, and committee member James Hine got in contact with him and we managed to get it all done.”

Despite the calibre of signings that Bromyard have made during the close season, batsman Ollie Bailey has also returned following a season at Pershore, Oliver is stopping short of predicting his team will lift the title.

“I’m quietly confident that we will do well this season,” he said. “We have got some quality in the team and I would like to think that we could make the top four in the division.”

The Bromyard first XI will again be captained by Oliver, while stalwart Matt Bullock will be his vice-captain.

The second team will be led by Dave Clegg after four years as third XI skipper and he will be assisted by Dan Mills, while long-serving member Jeff Bayliss replaces Clegg.