Gloucs sign Van Buuren on UK passport
South African Graeme Van Buuren, who helped Burnley to the Lancashire League title last season, has signed for Gloucestershire as a UK-qualified player
ESPNcricinfo staff
19-Apr-2016
Gloucestershire coach Richard Dawson has wasted no time strengthening his resources • PA Photos
Gloucestershire have signed South African-born allrounder Graeme Van Buuren on a two-year deal.
The 25-year-old, who played for the Pretoria-based Titans, joins the club after making 170 in a 2nd XI game against Glamorgan last season.
A right-handed middle-order batsman and left-arm spinner, he qualifies as a non-overseas player through his wife Hannah, a British passport holder.
Gloucestershire won the Royal London One-Day Cup last season but started their Division Two Championship season poorly last week with a thumping defeat against Essex at Chelmsford.
Van Buuren said: "I am really excited to be here. Coming to a county that has had some success recently is unbelievable and hopefully I can help the boys add to the trophy cabinet."
He has a good track record of securing silverware after playing a major role in helping Titans win both the Ram Slam T20 tournament and the Sunfoil Series first-class competition last season.
A former South Africa Under-19 player, he made his first-class debut back in 2009 and averages more than 50 with the bat and 25 with the ball in the longer form of the game. After three successful seasons in Netherlands he spent last year helping Burnley to the Lancashire League title before impressing the Gloucestershire coaching staff during a trial match.
Richard Dawson said the allrounder would be an excellent acquisition to the squad. "It is brilliant to have Graeme join our squad for the next couple of seasons. He has a proven track record and will add to the competition for places. I am looking forward to seeing him scoring runs and taking wickets for Gloucestershire."