A young left-hander who would have made his first-class debut last season had Kim Barnett not passed a fitness test, James Pearson will hope to start his first-class career this year, though he is not currently contracted to the club. He has enjoyed success at club level for Bristol West Indies and is a confident left-handed batsman and pace bowler capable of terrifying club cricketers, but unlikely to be a serious threat in the first-class game as yet.

A fairly classical batsman, Pearson generally hits through the line of the ball. He has an upright technique, good sense of timing and a crisp cover-drive. (Sean Beynon, Copyright CricInfo January 2002)