England might have thrashed Bermuda by 241 runs in a cricket World Cup warm-up game but that wasn’t good enough for the English media.

All they could talk about was a 270-pound (19 stone in British terms) policeman who contrived to dismiss two of the world’s leading one-day batsmen — Kevin Pietersen, ranked in the world’s top three one-day players, and the in-form Paul Collingwood who is fresh from making centuries against Australia.

Heavyweight spinner Dwayne (Sluggo) Leverock, 35, might already have been well known among the Associate cricket nations.

But yesterday he earned celebrity status worldwide — on the front, middle and back pages of tabloid and broadsheet newspapers.

Here’s what some of the newspapers had to say about Sluggo:

The Daily Mail

Unlike more physically-demanding sports, cricket has a rich tradition of showcasing the talents of the less-than lithe.

Yesterday, Bermuda’s 19-stone bowling hero Dwayne Leverock joined the likes of WG Grace and “Beefy” Ian Botham in the ranks of corpulent cricketing legends after claiming the wickets of two of England’s finest batsmen.

England’s middle order were given problems by the left-arm spinner, whose ungainly appearance is very much a throwback to a bygone era.

Left arm spinner Leverock, who bears a stronger resemblance to a sumo wrestler than an elite sportsman, may not look like a serious cricketer. But he had enough about him to bamboozle England’s middle order with his spin.

Yet while he barely fits the mould of the modern professional, his giant frame belies a cricketing talent.

He may look the very antithesis of a sportsman but, as fine figures of two for 32 showed, he has genuine ability.

The Daily Mirro>

England found their way around the biggest obstacle in Bermudan (sic) cricket to get into the swing of things before the World Cup.

Dwayne Leverock looks more like a baby elephant than a cricketer, but he made light work of his heavy frame to put the skids under the England innings.

Our boys might be as fit as a butcher’s dog, but they had no answer to the roly-poly policeman who bowled with great skill to finish with 2-32.

The 19 stone spinner came onto the field an over before he was due to bowl, delivered ten quality overs and then retired to the dressing room to a hero’s ovation.

The Sun

England were made to struggle for runs as Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle.

Pietersen and Collingwood were dismissed by spin bowler Dwayne Leverock who, at 19 stone, four pounds, is the heaviest player in the World Cup — and most places beyond.

In fact, Leverock is more like a Bermuda Square than a Bermuda Triangle.

Amazingly, Leverock was once a nifty athlete and won a silver medal in the Junior Caribbean Games in the 110 metre hurdles.

He may be vastly overweight but he removed England’s best two one-day batsmen in the classic style of an orthodox slow left-armer.B>The Times

Only Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen of the top five reached double figures and, to the amusement of a crowd numbering several hundred, the brakes were applied by Dwayne Leverock, a 19-stone policemen with a scary resemblance to a nightclub bouncer. His rotund figure belied subtle changes of speed and flight.

The Daily Expre<$>

Bermuda’s batsmen must be hoping spinner and police driver Dwayne Leverock does not throw his weight around back at the hotel after they undid his good work with the ball on Monday.

The 241-run defeat to England in the World Cup warm-up will reopen the debate about whether minor nations such as Bermuda should be competing at the top level. England skittled them out for 45 on Monday in 22.2 overs.

Leverock, whose weight has topped 21 stone, came out with great credit, however, after bagging two for 32 including the prize scalp of Kevin Pietersen.

The Daily Telegraph

IF the pitch here at Arnos Vale is typical of the surfaces for this World Cup, England better come up with an imaginative plan to play the slow bowlers after an 18-stone Bermudan (sic) policeman caused their middle order to suffer rigor mortis after imparting some classy left-arm spin.

Dwayne Leverock is a decent tweaker, but England, who won their warm-up game here by 241 runs after Bermuda’s batting imploded for 45 all out, will meet better over the coming weeks

The Independent

Dwayne Leverock is probably the unlikeliest looking cricketer at the World Cup. As a teenager he represented Bermuda as a 110-metre hurdler and it would be fair to say he has let himself go just a little since then.

Despite his girth the left-arm spinner proved to be too good for Paul Collingwood and Pietersen. Collingwood followed a ball that turned sharply and was caught behind; Pietersen came down the pitch and was stumped. Shane Warne would have loved to have dismissed his friend in such style during the Ashes.

The Guaan<$>

With the England score board reading 132 for five and a slow left-armer who looked as if he was trying to emulate the Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly and had reached the goat, there was the sniff of an upset.

Dwayne Leverock, 19 stone at conservative estimates, bowled beautifully to a backdrop of the Grenadines disappearing into the haze, removing Paul Collingwood and Kevin Pietersen, the latter classically drawn down the the pitch and stumped.

And from down under.... the Sydney Daily Telegraph:

You might have thought that “left arm round” was a bowling description, but it barely begins to cover the burly Bermudan Dwayne Leverock, a cricketer in a class of his own.

Meet the star spinner for one of cricket’s no-hopers who, for a brief moment threatened all-too-literally to steamroller England in a warm-up match for the World Cup.

Just when we thought that Inzamam-ul-Haq was the last of a dying breed of corpulent cricketers, Leverock stepped forward to strike a blow for the Mike Gatting tendency.

As pies across St Vincent scrambled for cover, “Loverock” had England’s middle order for, well, breakfast, before revealing that at a scale-crushing 120 kilograms he had actually trimmed down for the tournament.

All middle and no edges, Leverock proved that if you’re fat enough you’re good enough with the wickets of Paul Collingwood and Kevin Pietersen to finish with a creditable 2-32 off ten overs.

No matter that his team was thumped by a whacking 231 runs — a margin from now on known as a “Dwayne” — cricket’s first scoffspinner enjoyed every moment of his day in the sun as the world’s media beat a path to his door.