Bespectacled, tall and lanky, Albert van der Merwe is an offspinning allrounder whose outstanding performances for The Hills club in the Leinster Senior League led to an Ireland debut against West Indies A in June 2010 and inclusion in the World Cricket League Division One tournament in Netherlands the following month. Born in Cape Town, van der Merwe captained Potchefstroom University to their first SA University title before emigrating to Ireland in 2004. Van der Merwe made his start in Irish club cricket with Derriaghy in 2007 before joining The Hills the following season. Opening the batting and contributing regularly with the ball, he played a pivotal role in the club's victorious Leinster Senior League campaign that year, and in 2009 he won the Samuels Cup as the leading allrounder in Leinster. In 16 matches in the season, van der Merwe scored 570 runs at an average of 40.71 including a top score of 123 not out off just 125 balls. He also took 26 wickets at an average of 20.45 including best figures of 5 for 7.

Van der Merwe got his chance in an Ireland side weakened by the absence of William Porterfield, Niall O'Brien and Boyd Rankin due to county commitments, and the exclusion of Gary Kidd and Peter Connell, but with a solid club record behind him he has the potential to cement a place in a full-strength squad. Van der Merwe also fills the important role of development officer for Leinster Cricket Union, as well as playing a coaching role in schools for Fingal Sports Council, and still spends his christmases with family in South Africa.
Liam Brickhill July 2010