Frocester chairman John Evans has been in and around cricket for a long time and he, like many others at the go-ahead club, is very excited about the upcoming season.

The reason for much of that excitement is the impending arrival of West Indies fast bowler Oshane Thomas, who is joining the newly promoted West of England Premier One club for the 2023 campaign.

“I can’t quite believe it,” said Evans, a former player at the club who is now in his early 70s. “To have a player of that standard, the boys are all very excited.”

Thomas, who bowls right-handed and bats left-handed, has played 20 T20s and 20 one-day internationals for the West Indies and, having just turned 26, is coming into his prime as a fast bowler.

“He bowls really quickly,” said Evans, before adding, “I bet the boys are really looking forward to nets this season!”

Thomas, who is expected to be available for Frocester’s first league game of the season at Bath on Saturday 6^th May, will also do some coaching at the club.

“He’s not coming just as a player,” continued Evans. “He’s going to help us bring on our younger players. We need to build up our youth section post-Covid and to have a West Indies player at training on Monday evenings should be quite exciting for our younger players.

“In terms of international standing, he must be the best player we’ll have had at Frocester. Australian Brett Crichton was an outstanding player but I guess Oshane’s stats are the most impressive.”

Thomas, from Jamaica, has taken five wickets in an innings in both white-ball formats for the West Indies, but Evans is keen not to heap too much pressure on him before he arrives.

“He can only bowl 10 overs,” he said. “He can’t win matches on his own, the other players will have to step up too.”

Skipper Will Naish will be able to call on the services of the likes of Jared Warner, Tommy Boorman and Ryan Kilmister this season but all eyes, understandably, will be on Oshane Thomas at Bath in early May.

“I see one of the Bath batsmen tweeted they’d better have a flat deck that day!” added Evans.