By Rob Barnett
Glamorgan have made good on this week’s promise to sign “an experienced top-order batsman” by securing South Africa’s Colin Ingram on a three-year contract under the Kolpak ruling.
Ingram joining Glamorgan is subject to clearance from Cricket South Africa, ECB registration regulations and visa clearance. All being well, he will link up with the Welsh county in March.
Tuesday saw Jim Allenby join Somerset, fellow all-rounder Craig Meschede move the other way on a season-long loan and South Africa batsman Jacques Rudolph extend his stay with Glamorgan until the end of the 2017 campaign.
Amid those deals, a Glamorgan statement read: “The club is also in advanced negotiations with an experienced top-order batsman”.
Ingram fits that bill with the 29-year-old left-hander having scored 10,490 senior runs in 271 games.
Forty of those appearances have been in limited-overs internationals, but he has not represented his country for more than a year.
Ingram hit the first of his three one-day international hundreds on format debut, versus Zimbabwe, and made 73 from 63 balls at the SWALEC Stadium during a Duckworth/Lewis tie with West Indies at last year’s Champions Trophy.
The aggressive batsman, who averages over 40 in List A cricket, will bring leadership qualities as captain of the Warriors franchise in his homeland.
Glamorgan chief executive Hugh Morris said: "Signing a player of Colin Ingram's undoubted calibre and experience is a great boost as we continue our preparations ahead of the new season.
"Our strategy is to develop a team with a strong Welsh identity, but we have always said that we need pillars of experienced players in key positions to supplement our home grown talent by recruiting from outside our borders.
"Colin is an outstanding talent and aged 29 is in the prime of his career. Anyone in Cardiff, who saw his innings against the West Indies last year in the Champions Trophy couldn't help be impressed. I look forward to welcoming Colin to Glamorgan.”
Ingram, who had a limited-overs stint with Somerset this year, said: "I'm delighted to be joining Glamorgan. I had my first taste of playing county cricket with Somerset last July and I enjoyed it.
“I've spoken to Jacques Rudolph about the club and I'm looking forward to the challenge and to playing with my new team-mates.”
