Sudbury Cricket Club are set to sign a South African all-rounder, who has recently taken the scalps of England's star batsmen Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott.
Final paperwork permitting, Charl Pietersen, of the Eagles and Griqualand West, will be at Friars Street as coach for the forthcoming season and will also play for the Talbots.
Pietersen, who played county cricket for Northants in 2005 and 2006, has
played SuperSport cricket in South Africa and is captain of his province.
The 27-year-old also played against England on their recent tour, for a South African Invitational XI, scoring 68 runs and taking the wickets of England captainStrauss, Cook and Trott.
The all-rounder has bowled nearly 10,000 balls in first class cricket at an average of 28, at an economy-rate of about three an over, and scored more than 1,700 first class runs at an average of 27. Just this season he hit a first class 140.
Pietersen was recommended by fellow South Africans Adrian Mclaren and Jandre Coetzee, who have also played for Sudbury in recent seasons.
The Talbots' vice-chairman Louis Brooks believes Pietersen will be a great asset to Sudbury and the wider cricket community they support.
Brooks said: "He has a lot of coaching experience, first class cricket experience and has also spent two years in county cricket with Northamptonshire to call upon. So we are hoping he will bring some fresh ideas to all of our junior and senior teams."
It is hoped that Pietersen will be in place at the club by early April, ready for Sudbury's first outdoor nets sessions in their new nets.
