SOUTH African all-rounder Brady Barends will spearhead Dalton’s bid to retain their North Lancs and Cumbria League Premier Division status this season.

The Ulverston Road outfit have snapped up the 26-year-old pace bowling ace after a deal for Sri Lankan Thilan Thushara fell through.

International left-arm quick Thushara was signed up in November as Dalton looked to build on their promotion-winning campaign of 2016. But problems with his visa meant the Ulverston Road club had to seek out a replacement.

As a result, they have brought in Barends, a player who club spokesman and first-team paceman Jon Bell hopes will make a significant impact for the club.

“He was on our shortlist when we started looking for a pro in September/October last year,” said Bell. “He was probably our second choice at the time behind Thilan.

“We’ve had paperwork issues with him and we’ve had to look again and we’re happy to have him here.

“We’ve spoken to Calvin Savage, who was the Furness pro last year, and he came highly recommended from him.

“We’re happy with what we’re getting.

“He’s a quick bowling all-rounder and that is what we were after. He can lead the attack and hopefully get a few runs as well for us.”

Barends hit the headlines in 2010 after taking a nine-wicket haul for KwaZulu-Natal in the CSA Provincial Three Day Challenge in South Africa.

The Durban-born player’s figures of 9 for 68 are the fourth-best in the final innings of a South African first-class match.

Barends was also only the sixth bowler in history to take the first nine wickets to fall in an innings in South African first-class cricket, ending the match with figures of 12 for 107.

He has since played for KwaZulu-Natal Inland and, more recently, North West and has 141 wickets at 32.60 and 1,294 runs at 16.58 over 71 first-class matches.

This season for North West, Barends has taken 23 wickets at 25.73 alongside scoring 362 runs at 30.16. He also picked up eight wickets at 20 in the Twenty20 competition for good measure.

Barends has previously spent three seasons as a professional in England, playing for Devon Premier League side Paignton, Home Counties League outfit Banbury and, last season, Surrey Championship team Chipstead.

Dalton will want him to produce the goods for them this year as they aim for top-flight survival, and Bell added: “If we finish second-bottom, as long as we stay up, that’s our aim for the season.

“If Brady has a good season, then we have a lot better chance of that happening.”