Rye snap up Barbadian paceman

Sandun Dias has ended his very successful four-year stint at Rye Cricket Club

Omar Wiggins will be Rye’s overseas player during their first ever Sussex Cricket League campaign, succeeding the very successful Sandun Dias.

Considered a huge coup for the club, Wiggins bowls consistently at around 80mph and has the ability to bowl up to 85mph. He has an impressive cricketing CV which includes taking a hat-trick against a combined Yorkshire/Nottinghamshire XI on their pre-season tour last year, and comes highly recommended by current West Indies coaches Ottis Gibson and Vasbert Drakes.

Wiggins has been included in the Barbados 20/20 squad and has been close to the fringes of the first class side, although due to the strength of Barbados cricket, he is yet to make an appearance.

Wiggins currently plays in the top flight of Barbados club cricket with Sussex players Dwayne Smith and Chris Jordan, as well as international Fidel Edwards. His club, Carribean Lumber YMPC, has been one of the dominant clubs on the circuit in Barbados for a number of years. He is also a useful batsman, who by his own admission likes to hit the ball hard.

Sri Lankan star Dias has decided to call time on his overseas playing days as he pursues new opportunities in Australia. In his four seasons with Rye, he amassed just over 2,000 East Sussex League runs at an average of just over 40 and claimed 127 wickets at just under 14 apiece.

See tomorrow’s Rye Observer for the full article.