LECHLADE CC have signed a player who took the wicket of Shivnarine Chanderpaul and caught Brian Lara in the same West Indies v Zimbabwe ODI back in 2006.

But it was when former Zimbabwe international Ryan Higgins scored a ton against Lechlade some years later that he came on Paul Rowley’s radar.

And Rowley is a cricket club chairman who never forgets.

Though cricket flannels may have been put away for the winter, Higgins became Rowley’s first signing of the close season last Friday.

Go-ahead Lechlade came agonisingly close to winning promotion from the West of England Premier Glos/Wilts Division, losing out to the champions Potterne only on the last day.

They did, however, have the compensation of winning the County Cup and Rowley, quite literally the driving force behind the club, wants more silverware for the Manor Ground.

He sees 25-year-old Higgins, who helped Poulton to promotion from Division 2 of the humble county league last season and previously Chippenham to a Glos/Wilts title – as a key player in that quest.

“Cricket is all about planning and we are in there scrapping from the outset,” said Rowley.

“I have known Ryan for about six years ever since he smacked 100 against us. From that day, he was on my radar.

“He has played at Premier 2, if not Premier 1 level in the past and when we understood he was looking to play a better standard of cricket than the county league next year we got in touch.

“He is obviously a superb batsman and a more than useful leg spinner.

“Ryan is also the boss of Gecko Cricket, the coaching and cricket equipment company, and he is sure to be involved in holiday coaching camps at our club, though Luke Sellers remains the club coach.”

Read about Lechlade CC signing a former West Indian captain to replace last year’s successful overseas player Arnie Yugaraja here at www.wiltsglosstandard.co.uk tomorrow.