Somerset have signed South Africa international Colin Ingram as a replacement for overseas batsman Alviro Petersen.
Petersen will be away on international duty with the Proteas from July 11 until August 14 for their tour of Sri Lanka, which gets underway with the first Test on July 16.
Ingram, 28, who has 40 limited-overs caps for South Africa, will replace his countryman at Taunton and will hope to have an impact at the top of the Somerset order.
He will be available for one LV= County Championship game, seven Royal London One-Day Cup matches, and a minimum of four NatWest T20 Blast fixtures.
And he cannot wait to get going.
Ingram said: “I am really looking forward to joining Somerset. It will be my first experience of county cricket and I can’t wait to experience the vibe around it which everyone talks about.
“Cricket-wise I just want to get stuck in and perform for the team and keep on delivering like Alviro has been doing.”
Director of cricket Dave Nosworthy added: “Finding quality overseas replacements is really tough these days due the various international tour schedules and also the likes of the Caribbean Premier Leagues that are happening.
“Nevertheless we have managed to source one in Colin Ingram and I am looking forward to his arrival.
“Colin has represented South Africa predominantly in one-day internationals and will fit the gap perfectly left by Alviro.
“He is a quality player who will add real value to our team, and is also a quality person which is also crucial to our requirements as a team here at the County Ground.”