Protea Petersen set for Somerset stint

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Somerset have signed South Africa Test opening batsman Alviro Petersen as an overseas player for the first stage of next season until the start of the Friends Life t20.

The 31-year-old right-hander is part of the Proteas team that went top of the Test rankings by beating England 2-0 in the summer. He is currently involved in his 17th Test, versus Australia at Brisbane, having hit a ton on five-day debut against India at Kolkata in February 2010.

Petersen has scored 1,187 Test runs, including four hundreds, at an average of 42.39. His 17 one-day internationals have been less successful, with 437 runs coming at 31.21.

Alviro Petersen, here en route to 64 versus Australia at Brisbane today, is set to play for Somerset for the first part of next season

He has had two spells in county cricket, both for sides playing in Division Two of the LV= County Championship whereas he will play in the top flight at Somerset.

Petersen led Glamorgan throughout the 2011 season, making 1,069 championship runs at 42.76 as they finished sixth, and was in the ranks at Essex for the first half of this campaign, although his return of 235 championship runs at 21.36 was less impressive. They eventually came fifth.

He told his new county’s website: “I am very pleased to have signed to play for Somerset as their overseas player for the first part of next season. Somerset are a successful team in all forms of cricket and I look forward to becoming part of the set-up at the County Ground, and hope that I can help them to win some trophies in 2013.”

Somerset chief executive Guy Lavender said: “We are delighted to have signed Alviro Petersen and he will play for us right the way through until the commencement of the FLt20 competition next summer, when he will depart to resume international cricket with South Africa.

“He is an exceptional player and has an impressive record as a batsman, which he demonstrated during this summer’s series against England and we look forward to welcoming him to Taunton in the spring.”

Petersen could face his Test opening partner Graeme Smith, who last week signed a three-year deal to captain Surrey.

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