Bermuda’s heavyweight left-arm spinner Dwayne (Sluggo) Leverock found himself at the centre of a media frenzy yesterday as journalists following the English team clamoured to find out more about the big man.

And he was paid the ultimate compliment by England skipper Michael Vaughan who told a press conference after the match that Leverock “could be a real threat” in the World Cup.

The 270-pound Policeman made his presence felt in a superb ten-over spell that reaped two wickets for just 32 runs, the key England scalps of Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood.

He told reporters his success was simply down to keeping a steady line and analysing different batsmen. “At this level you have to analyse batsmen very quickly and the wicket gave me a bit of turn and bounce so I just used it to my advantage,” he said.

And he reckoned spinners as a whole would play a large part once the World Cup got underway. “It should be turning a lot on these wickets,” he added.

“It may not be that sharp spin but the wickets will give a lot of bounce and if batsmen are not careful they will be caught out.”

Asked by the English press about his past as an athlete, he told them: “I was actually a hurdler in my younger days, I ran track for Bermuda. I actually ran track in the Carifta Games in Trinidad and won a silver medal in the 110 metres hurdles.” And questioned about his weight, he smiled: “I used to be a lot heavier, I’ve slimmed down.” Vaughan, meanwhile, told the media he’d been extremely impressed by Leverock.

“He bowled very well,” said the skipper. “Any spinner that drags Kevin Pietersen out of his crease and does him in flight . . . well, he’s put down a good delivery. He bowled his ten overs really well. Bermuda seem to have a few talented players and that left arm spinner looks like he could be a real threat to all of the teams in the World Cup.”