BROMYARD cricket club hope to grasp the forthcoming season with both hands having been given a relegation reprieve during the winter.

The Flaggoners Green club looked set to drop out of Division One of the Worcestershire County League after finishing last-but-one in the 2014 campaign.

But in January they were told Harvington had been relegated in their place because they were not able to three teams for the coming season, meaning Bromyard survived to take on Division One again.

And the Herefordshire side has been boosted further in recent weeks by the re-signing of club favourite Dinusha Fernando as their overseas player.

Fernando has twice played for the Sri Lanka Test side and club officials he can shine throughout this campaign.

"He's still playing First Class cricket and is just a quality player," said club secretary Edd Oliver.

"We hope he can get about 800 runs and pick up about 40 wickets through the course of the season.

"He's very down to earth and loves it in Bromyard. He goes to the church every Sunday, and really helps the youngsters out with their game."

Oliver says he is hoping for a mid-table finish this campaign, saying the squad has an ideal mix of promising youngsters and experienced older hands.

Bromyard's reprieve is believed to be the first instance in 15 years of the Worcestershire County League where a club has finished in the bottom two and not been relegated.

They kick off their season with a home tie against Herefordshire rivals Colwall this Saturday (1pm).

They will also come up against another Herefordshire side in Burghill & Tillington later in the season.

Fernando, meanwhile, has been playing First Class and List A cricket for Colombo Cricket Club in his home country during the winter.

In three seasons at Bromyard he has racked up 2,576 runs in just 56 matches in the Worcestershire County League, at an average of 75.76. His knock includes seven hundreds and 17 half-centuries.

With the ball, he has taken 113 wickets at an average of 22.21, including four five-wicket hauls.