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 GLAMORGAN coach John Derrick is delighted with the acquisition of overseas aces James Franklin and Mark Cosgrove to replace injured Aussie batsman Matthew Elliott and bowler Mike Kasprowicz, who turned down a return to Sophia Gardens to focus on his Test career.
New Zealand left-arm paceman Franklin has agreed a deal at Sophia Gardens for the forthcoming season, while top-order batsman Cosgrove has also signed up for a season-long move to the Welsh county.
 Blacks Caps star Franklin replaces Kasprowicz as Glamorgan's front-line overseas paceman after the 34-year-old, who had been expected to arrive at Sophia Gardens after Australia's Test series in South Africa, changed his mind over the deal agreed last November.
"He's got back in the Test side and feels he has a couple more years in him there so he will concentrate on that," said Derrick.
Franklin is also a useful lower-order batsman, having made a career-best 208 for Wellington against Auckland in a state cricket championship match. He will link up with his new team-mates in May after his country's tour to South Africa.
"We are delighted that James is joining us," said Derrick. "His left-arm bowling will add extra variety to our attack, and he is coming over to Wales on the back of a highly successful season in New Zealand.
"I have spoken several times in the past couple of weeks to John Bracewell, the coach of the New Zealand team. "He has a very high regard for James' ability, both as a left-arm swing bowler and as a middle-order batsman. In fact, in John's opinion, James could bat at number six in the future for New Zealand."
Cosgrove, 21, has been given the go-ahead by his state side, South Australia, to replace the injured Elliott as the county's second overseas player.
The Glamorgan new boy is looking forward to the challenge of impressing during his first stint in county cricket.
The left-hander arrives as one of the leading young talents in Australia. "I'm expected to score big runs this summer and I'll have to play a lot of games, but it doesn't faze me," he said. "I am a batsman who thrives under pressure and enjoys taking on extra responsibilities for the team, and I hope my good state form will continue.
"Matthew Elliott told me that the Sophia Gardens pitch is very flat, so from my point of view that is really good news. I am really looking forward to the challenge of helping Glamorgan win promotion to the First Division."
And Cosgrove, along with a considerable number of other agents from the Antipodes, is hell bent on keeping tabs on the England players they'll face in this winter's Ashes series, including, fitness permitting, Glamorgan team-mate Simon Jones.
All but four counties will have an Aussie among their ranks this summer. And suffice to say, all postcards home should be vetted in view of the imminent return of Ashes hostilities!
Cosgrove joked, "You could call me the spy in the camp! I've been working with Simon (Jones) for a while now in the nets and I've been trying to pick out his strengths and weaknesses. I haven't found many weaknesses yet mind!
"But I've told the Aussie coach, I'll only spill the beans if he picks me in his Ashes squad! I didn't realise how quick he is. The first time I faced him I thought to myself, 'I'll show him who's boss.' But he banged it in and it flew at 1,000mph past my face.
"Before the Ashes, the Australian lads thought once they'd got past Harmison and Flintoff that they could rack up the runs. But Simon showed he was in the mood to spoil our fun in the First Test."
"While he didn't bowl well, he swung the ball miles and we suddenly realised he could be a massive danger if he hit the right spot - which he did later! Simon was a bit of a surprise. I think Australia underestimated him."
And Cosgrove is hoping to be a big hit on the international scene himself. An 11th hour call-up for Australia's one-day squad to face Aussie nemesis Bangladesh shows how highly he is rated by Aussie coach John Buchanan. Australia’s three-match series against Bangladesh finishes on April 28, so the talented young batsman is likely to make his Championship debut for Glamorgan in their fixture against Derbyshire at Cardiff starting on May 3.
The explosive batsman - the Bradman young cricketer of the year for 2004-05 - was South Australia's one-day ING Cup player of the year plundering 591 runs at an average of 73.87.
He's no slouch over a longer format, either averaging 41 from 24 first-class matches for South Australia.
"I want to push hard for an Ashes spot," said Cosgrove, who averaged 73 in one-dayers for South Australia during their summer just gone. "I've got a lot to do but I love a challenge."
On the subject of challenges, Cosgrove, a bit of a self-confessed party animal, is hoping to entice his pipe and slipper-toting team-mates out on the town more often.
"The lads have made me feel welcome but they don't go out much round here because it's so cold and wet! They say, 'I'll stay in the warm and watch TV!' I might have to change that!
"But seriously, Glamorgan have a great bunch of lads and I'm hoping to repay them with a good year."
And with the county's Sophia Gardens ground hosting an Ashes Test match in 2009, Cosgrove hopes to have plenty of batting practice on the surface to add further push to his case for inclusion in the Aussie Test side.
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