OJ Pitcher, the St. David's and Bermuda all-rounder, has been confirmed as the overseas player for English club side Pyrford next season.

In a move initiated by Roland Butcher, whose truncated stint as Bermuda coach came to an inglorious end in May, the 18-year-old is charged immediately with the task of leading Pyrford out of the Surrey County League.

Pitcher is so highly thought of in local circles that he became the youngest player ever to represent Bermuda at the ICC Trophy in Canada earlier this year. But the campaign ended in disaster with early elimination at the hands of Namibia, the surprise runners-up.

Butcher's period in Bermuda may have been short-lived but he was here long enough to appreciate potential among some of the younger players, with Pitcher at the top of the list.

St. Clair (Brinky) Tucker, the former Southampton Rangers fast bowler who heads the Testimonial Committee, said that the path was opened to Pitcher, ironically, after a failed attempt by Butcher to land a guest player for the annual event in September.

"He e-mailed me back and said that it was too late to get anyone," Tucker said. "Then he informed me that he was interested in getting a young player over there and he mentioned OJ."

The opportunity was broached successfully with Pitcher's parents before the player himself was brought into the picture. And, with the same relish that he brought to his cricket in St. David's all-conquering season, the early-order bat and medium-pace bowler welcomed the "chance of a lifetime".

"It came as a big surprise when I was first asked," Pitcher said yesterday. "All along it has been my dream to play cricket in England. Once I found out they were interested in me I automatically said I would take the opportunity, and if I don't like it I could say that at least I tried."

The Bermuda College senior has thought far enough down the road to consider extending his education to Britain should the move prove productive.

"This is an opportunity of a lifetime," Pitcher added. "It should be more competitive and against harder opposition, so I am hoping that my level of play will increase."

In Pyrford, who will be coached by Butcher, in another ironic twist, Pitcher joins an ambitious club that was established back in 1858 but has played competitive cricket for only 35 years.

They narrowly missed promotion to the Surrey Championship last season, finishing five points behind the second-placed club in the Surrey County League First Division.

Pyrford field two teams, with the Second XI having just earned promotion to the Second XI First Division of the same league.

"This year they hope to win the league and thereby earn promotion to the (Surrey) Championship League, arguably one of the top three in England," Tucker said in a letter addressed to the Bermuda Cricket Board of Control, St. David's Cricket Club and St. George's Cricket Club, for whom Pitcher appeared in the 2000 Cup Match.

The youngster is expected to leave for England next May and stay until the end of August, unless he is invited back for a two-week period to challenge for the Cup Match place that he surrendered this year due to injury. He will be ruled out of St. David's visit to Trinidad to compete in the regional Champion of Champions event as well as the Eastern Counties Cup defence.

"I tried to get back for County but they won't allow me to stay for longer than the two weeks over Cup Match," Pitcher said.

The youngster will be put up in an apartment with part-time work in the offing when he is not cutting the grass with his trademark flicks through mid-wicket.

Pitcher joins Dexter Smith, the former St. George's Cup Match and Bermuda opener, in the Surrey area. Smith, who is London-based but has returned to The Royal Gazette until the end of January, plays for Southern Railway, of the Surrey Championship Third Division.