James Bryant arrives to embark on his new career at the County Ground

Somerset's newest batting recruit James Bryant has arrived at the County Ground from South Africa to start his new career in English first class cricket, a career that he hopes will eventually lead to him playing international cricket.

As he sat looking out across the ground the twenty seven year old who has made his name playing for Eastern Province said: "It's good to have arrived at last and everybody has made me feel very welcome. The weather is really great and it's warmer here than I thought that it would be."

The South African born player, who is qualified to play county cricket as a non overseas player because of his English parents has been signed by the Cidermen to bolster the top order batting and is expected to bat at number three or four.

He told me: "I have come to Somerset to help the club to win promotion, which I think is an achievable goal given the quality of the players that we have. In fact I will need to get some runs early on in the season to be sure of getting my place in the team!"

Bryant has an impressive track record in both four day and one-day cricket. He went to university in Port Elizabeth and started playing for the Eastern Province `B' side before progressing to the first team. As a result of being the leading run scorer for the province in 1999-2000, he was selected to go to the West Indies with the South African A side, an experience that he thoroughly enjoyed.

However the tour did not lead to him being called up for the senior side, and despite being the leading run scorer in South African one day cricket the following season he has remained on the side lines, as a result of which he has come to England to try to realise a burning ambition.

He told me: "In 2002 -3 I played for Eastern Province as their overseas player and coming over here to play first class cricket is the biggest decision in my cricketing career so far, but if I do well for Somerset then who knows it may lead to me playing for England because my biggest goal is to play international cricket. At present I have a two year contract, but if things go well this might be extended."

How would he describe himself as a player I asked. "I'm an attacking batsman and enjoy playing both the four and one day game. I enjoy the quickness and the aggression of the one day game but I also enjoy building an innings in four day cricket. In both forms I play very positive cricket and like to keep the score moving along."

In the short time that he had been at Taunton what did he think of what he had seen. "The ground looks lovely and there are lots of short straight boundaries and when the crowds get in there must be a great atmosphere. I knew more or less what to expect because I had a long chat with Jimmy Cook before I left and he gave me the run down. He loved his time over here and told me that it is a good batting strip at Taunton," he told me.

Finally I asked if he had a message for the Somerset fans. He told me: "I'll appreciate any support that the crowds give me and I can promise them that I'm going to go out there and give it my best for the club and hopefully help them to win promotion."