WELLINGTON’S new overseas cricket star Zandre Swartz will miss the club’s first fixture of the new season in the West of England Premier Division.

Swartz has state cricket commitments for Northern Cape which will prevent him arriving by Saturday, April 9.

Instead the wicketkeeper and batsman will arrive for the match a week later – April 16.

He is currently playing in the Northern Cape Cricket Association’s Premier League as well at both List A and T20 formats for the Northern Cape State side.

Alongside having played for Pwllheli in the North Wales Premier League in 2015 where he realised more than 500 runs, the Red and Blacks have secured an excellent performer for this summer’s season in which Wellington will be playing in the new-look West of England Premier League at Tier Three’s Somerset Division.

Swartz follows in the footsteps of two other South African players, Joel Brockley and Wian Gouws who played for Wellington in the 2014 and 2015 seasons respectively.

Wellington just need to sort out the formalities before he can sign officially for them.