Signing Marchant De Lange on a three year contract earlier this week has been a huge boost for Glamorgan with the South African pace bowler available in all formats of the game, starting with today\'s clash with Northants, writes Edward Bevan.
De Lange has just completed a successful season in South Africa, ending as the second highest wicket taker in the four day competition and also completed a productive summer in one day cricket. He has previously featured in the IPL and CPL, so could prove a useful acquisition for Glamorgan in this season’s NatWest T20 Blast.
Admitting that he has ended his international career, Kolpak De Lange said “I haven’t been picked for the past five years, so my commitment has changed, and I am now eager to be part of a county season.”
The new signing will offset the absence of pace bowlers Michael Hogan and Timm Van Der Gugten for Friday’s opening game, but when both recover, Glamorgan will have a potent three man pace attack.
Both Hogan (hip injury) and Van Der Gugten (shoulder) are confident of being fit for next week’s game against Worcestershire at Cardiff. They are also missing last season’s leading run scorer Will Bragg (back injury) and all-rounder Graham Wagg (abdominal). To compensate for the absence of four seam bowlers- Ruaidhri Smith is also out for 6 weeks - the Welsh county has signed Harry Podmore, the Middlesex seamer on loan for the next month.
The side will feature a balance of Welsh players alongside the overseas recruits. Included in the squad for the opening game are four young players who in their first year of Championship cricket last season scored centuries - and three of them are Welsh born - while another, Lukas Carey took seven wickets on debut against Northants at Swansea last season removing Ben Duckett in both innings.