BARNARDS Green Cricket Club have pulled off a major coup by signing former West Indies fast-bowling sensation Jerome Taylor for the rest of the 2022 season.

Taylor, 37, played 64 tests for the Windies in an international test career spanning 15 years, in which he took 130 wickets.

He has played in all formats of the game and in 103 first class matches of cricket, has racked up 326 wickets.

Taylor has played in T20 leagues in the Caribbean, India and Sri Lanka but has also played in England for counties Leicestershire and Somerset.

But now he will feature in another new league, the Birmingham and District League Premier Division Two, with Barnards Green.

"It was just an amazing opportunity that came up over the winter," said director of cricket David Sutton.

"Through a friend of the club and a cricket agency, we were asked if we wanted to sign Jerome Taylor and the answer to that was absolutely yes, most definitely!

"We then pursued that over the winter. It has taken a while with paper work but he has finally arrived and we are really excited to welcome him to the club."

Taylor will make his green debut on Saturday in the league clash with table-topping Wolverhampton at North End Lane.

A big home crowd is expected to watch the man who once took five for 11 against England in 2009 as the West Indies thrashed their tourists.

That day he removed the likes of Alistair Cook, Andrew Strauss and Kevin Pietersen and now the 37-year-old will be watched on by many at Barnards Green this weekend.

"We are hoping for a big crowd Saturday for his debut," added Sutton

"We are hoping the patio will be full. We have Caribbean food being served from 4 o'clock so hoping for a really good afternoon and it's so exciting for everyone at the club to have someone of Jerome's pedigree.

"He is also a really nice man off the field and it has been great getting to know him a bit. We have waited a long time to get him playing but the time has arrived.

"But we are also particularly excited about Jerome being able to coach the young cricketers children at our club and what an experience that will be for the youngsters.

"And we are also open to local clubs being able to use his expertise as well."