Omari Banks

Somerset signed former West Indies all-rounder Banks on a two-year contract at the start of the 2008 season.

The only man from the British protectorate island of Anguilla to play Test cricket, Banks qualifies as a home-grown player.

Banks is handy with the guitar, unsurprising since his father is the legendary Anguillan reggae star Bankie Banx.

An off-spinner and middle order batsman, Banks played in 10 Test matches and five one-day internationals between 2003 and 2005.

He has had little success as a bowler, but he famously scored 47 not out to help West Indies chase down the record run chase of 418 to beat Australia at St John’s in 2003.

He had a brief spell at Leicestershire before spending a week with Somerset in 2007 after being recommended by Jack Birkenshaw, the former cricket manager at the county who had coached Banks in 2001.

During a Second XI championship match against Hampshire he hit 116, 69 and took 5-94.

Despite runs in 2008 second-string cricket, Banks found it hard to break into the Somerset first XI until the Twenty20 season.

He scored an unbeaten 50 to bail out his side against Northamptonshire, but had little success with his bowling in the other limited overs campaigns.

Banks played a fairly regular role for Somerset in 2009, but struggled to live up to his billing and was released after their Champions League Twenty20 campaign.