Late developer eyes Lord8217;s

It has also given the tall 34-year-old a golden chance to erase his worst cricketing memory. An unsuccessful season as Lancashire8217;s overseas professional three years ago culminated in an agonising blow when captain Mike Watkinson told Elworthy on the morning of the Benson and Hedges one-day final that he would not be playing.

A long, lonely walk outside the famous ground cleared his head that day, but the pain remains. 8220;Lord8217;s is a special place, especially for overseas players, and itwas a terrible blow when Lancashire left me out. It is still my ambition to play at Lord8217;s and the World Cup final would be the perfect way to do it,8221; Elworthy says.

Zimbabwe-born 8212; he emigrated to Northern Transvaal 16 years ago 8212; and a former electrical engineer, Elworthy has toiled away in first class cricket for more than a decade. He only took up full-time bowling six years ago during a stint in the military when his batting did not prove strong enough to get in the Army side.

Since then he has blossomed into one of the game8217;s most remarkable late developers. He was drafted into South Africa8217;s one-day side last year and then called up as a late replacement for the tour of England.

Elworthy showed that he had not neglected his batting entirely with a Test debut 48 on that tour, and helped South Africa clinch this year8217;s series against New Zealand with eight wickets in his second test appearance.

But it is in this World Cup that the seamer has come into his own, conceding just over three runs anover with his nagging line and picking up 10 wickets.