of Wisden magazine.

A profile by writer Andrew Hignell painted the 24-year-old Glamorgan and England `A' batsman as a major talent, one who overshadowed his more illustrious county club team-mates in 1994.

Hemp was the first Glamorgan batsman and seventh overall to reach 1,000 runs in England this year, going past the mark on July 22.

His prowess with the willow did not go unnoticed, as the England selectors named him to the England `A' line-up to tour India.

"The 1994 season saw Hemp make the transformation from the rookie of the Glamorgan side to the rock of the county's batting,'' wrote Hignell.

Indeed, several skeptics were proven wrong, as when asked to predict which of the Glamorgan team members was most likely to reach the 1,000 run milestone first many were said to have touted the likes of England discard Matthew Maynard, all-rounder Adrian Dale or captain Hugh Morris, with Hemp a non-entity.

The son of accountant Clive Hemp, who was stationed in Bermuda during the 1970s, David spent the first six years of his youth roaming the Island's shores before his father relocated the family back to Swansea, near the southern tip of Wales.

It was not long before the younger Hemp was attracting interest as a schoolboy sportsman. He garnered a scholarship to Millfield where he progressed under the guidance of Andy Curtis.

In 1987, at 16, he made his debut for Glamorgan's Second XI and the following year won a place on the Glamorgan staff, while continuing to pile up the runs for the second team.

However, it was three years before the left-hander made an appearance with the first side, that coming against Hampshire.

After dropping in and out of the side Hemp early in the campaign finally secured a regular spot following his scoring a half-century at Worcester in 1993 and proceeded to notch four more scores of 50 or better that year.

The retirement of legendary West Indian batsman Viv Richards meant that Hemp had big shoes to fill, but he avoided the comparisons and accompanying pressure.

"Many people said how I was going to have to fill Viv's boots and there were many expectations of runs galore, but I ignored these, set my own targets and played my own game rather than trying to play like Viv,'' Hemp was quoted as saying.

And he demonstrated from the start that he is indeed his own man, recording his maiden first class century in the opening Championship match against Warwickshire at Edgbaston. This while a bevy of journalists watched attentively as he carved his way to 127 with an array of sweetly-timed shots to all fields.

Predictably, the throng was impressed and as Hemp grew in confidence so did the scoreboards continue to churn.

He finished the season with a massive total of 1,452 runs at a not too shabby rate of 42.71.

Admittedly he is not nearly as comfortable against spin as he is dealing with the pace bowlers, but looked forward to getting some seasoning against slow bowling during the India tour.

Big things are predicted for the young number three batsman, with many expecting him to soon command a place on the England Test team, which could certainly use a few high-calibre bats.

DAVID HEMP -- Bermuda-born cricketer in spotlight.