Desmond Haynes -- discarded by the West Indies for the Australian tour this year -- has helped Bermuda's top allrounder Noel Gibbons to find a new club in England.

The 39-year-old Bailey's Bay player, banned from playing locally until next month, is preparing to leave the Island this weekend to join Buckhurst Cricket Club in Essex.

Gibbons had ties with Halesowen severed recently when his extended tour of the Caribbean with Bailey's Bay last month caused him to miss the deadline the English club had imposed on him to sign professional forms.

"It's just one of those things, I missed the deadline and Desmond has given me a hand to find another club. But it's unfortunate that Halesowen and I parted ties after three good years,'' said Gibbons yesterday.

While it was Haynes, a friend of more than 10 years who linked Gibbons up with his new club, the Bermudian will get the chance to renew ties with another former West Indies player, Alvin Greenidge, who is also with Buckhurst.

Alvin Kallicharran, a former West Indies Test team great, is another player who Gibbons will get to see more often since Kallicharran also plays in the Essex County league.

It was because of Kallicharran that Gibbons was able to reach what he regards as new heights in the game a year ago.

By being extended an invitation to join Kallicharran's World Select's Tour, Gibbons reached a highlight in his career by being able to tour Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka with some world renowned Test players of the past -- from England, the West Indies and Australia.

And Gibbons is already anxious about what lies ahead for Kallicharran's Select.

"My understanding is that they have lined up a tour of Africa which will take us to countries like Kenya, Zambia and a few others, this is already exciting me and I have not even reached England yet,'' said a delighted Gibbons.

He still has fond memories of Halesowen and will always remember and appreciate the opportunity that they gave him to play in the Birmingham Conference league.

Now, however, he is looking forward to showing his mettle in the Essex County league.

With Halesowen Gibbons' highest knock was 180 last season while his most memorable bowling feat was a haul of seven wickets.

But shifting to Buckhust will be no easy task as this new league is reported to be of a slightly higher calibre.

"Naturally I don't know much about it, but Desmond assures me that it is a notch higher,'' said Gibbons.