Daren Powell

LONDON (CMC):

DAREN POWELL and Ravi Rampaul may have their stay in Britain extended by a few weeks to play in the English County Championship.

Glamorgan have been forced to seek another overseas professional, after Hampshire out-bid them for Powell, and have now turned to fellow West Indies fast bowler Ravi Rampaul instead.

Cardiff-based Glamorgan had their eyes on Powell to replace Australian Damien Wright, but could not match the offer made by the Southampton-based Hampshire to bring the Windies paceman to the ultra-modern Rose Bowl.

Powell will replace another Aussie, Stuart Clark, leaving Glamorgan to court Rampaul.

"We hope to have positive news in the next 24 hours," remarked Glamorgan coach Adrian Shaw.

"We have spoken to the agent and we are hopeful. Ravi is a player we had had a look at originally when we found out Damien had to go home."

Both Powell and Rampaul are with the West Indies in Ireland, where they are contesting a quadrangular limited-overs series with ICC Associate nations - the Netherlands, Scotland and the hosts.

Hampshire hope to debut Powell in their next English County Championship match at Durham in nine days' time, and his spell will include the limited-overs final against the same opponents on August 18.

Glamorgan hope to have Rampaul's contract wrapped up ahead of the Championship clash against Derbyshire at Derby, starting on Friday week.

Bowling legend

Powell is the latest in a long line of West Indians that have played for Hampshire, including Roy Marshall, Andy Roberts, Gordon Greenidge, Malcolm Marshall, Norman Cowans, Cardigan Connor, Winston Benjamin, Mervyn Dillon and Nixon McLean.

His teammates will include Australian legspin bowling legend Shane Warne and England batsman Kevin Pietersen, one of his foes in the recent Tests against the Lions.

Glamorgan have had Sir Vivian Richards, the late Roy Fredericks, Collis King, Winston Davis, Ezra Moseley, Ottis Gibson, Hamish Anthony and Gregory Armstrong play for them.