Callington CC have pulled off a coup by completing the signing of international all-rounder Roelof van der Merwe.

Merwe, who will be 38 on December 31, is a right hand bat and slow left arm bowler who is on the books of Somerset.

Born in South Africa, he went on to represent the Netherlands on the world stage. When he is not involved in Somerset matches next summer, he will be playing for Callington in the Cornwall Premier League.

Callington first team skipper Luke Brenton said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be bringing in a player of Roelof’s quality and stature.

“We got in contact with Roelof at the start of last week and he was really helpful and responsive in getting the signing over the line as quickly as possible.

Brenton went on: “Roelof ticks every single box we were hoping to hit when searching for a new player. We went out searching for another variation bowler, that was different to our right arm off spinners and right arm leg spin bowlers which we have already.

“We also wanted to add a bit more strength to our batting line up and Roelof certainly does that.

“It wasn’t just his cricketing ability that appealed to us however, his drive for success, experience and knowledge are all key factors as to why he was our perfect fit.

“He will be playing for us around his Somerset duties and we fully support him in doing that.

“We have done our research and if we were to go off of last season’s games, we are likely to be getting more than half a season out of Roelof.

“We are well aware that this could easily change; however, every time he steps on the cricket pitch in Callington green will be an amazing bonus for our side.”