Cricketer seeks to score with energy

FORMER England spin bowler Phil Edmonds is looking to pick up a slew of investments in Africa's energy sector after his success in floating a hat-trick of mining companies in the City.

Edmonds and his South African business partner Andrew Groves are talking to contacts across Angola, Nigeria and Mozambique about opportunities in not only oil exploration but also coal. The move comes as the biggest of his mining investments so far, Southern African Resources, moves to the next stage in its development by bringing in outside directors to run the board.

Edmonds said: 'Energy is the next natural step. If it is possible to achieve something of significance, like Cairn Energy has done in India, then there are major rewards.' He has made a name for himself in the mining sector since quitting cricket by bagging a number of 'goodies', mines he believes have significant potential across Southern Africa.

Shares in Aim-listed Southern African Resources have climbed from 3p to 26p since its 2002 float on hopes for platinum projects in the Bushveld and Botswana. Edmonds has set up two other listed vehicles, Central African Gold and Central African Mining & Exploration, and says his role is to strike deals before bringing more experienced people in to run the projects.

He made his Test debut in 1975, and one of his first moves into business came when he ploughed coins into a dressing-room phone to thrash out a £13m hotel deal.