A promising cricketer invited to play for Brighton and Hove was sent on a 13,000-mile round-trip by immigration officials who refused him entry to Britain.

South African fast-bowler Deon Carolus, 25, was turned away at Heathrow, partly because he was carrying too much cash.

He had to fly 6,000 miles back to Cape Town and take a 600-mile overnight bus trip to the British High Commission in Pretoria before he was finally granted a two-year visa.

Deon celebrated by taking three wickets in his first match in Eastbourne but his club has accused the authorities of incompetence.

Club chairman Bob Sansom said: "He had a legitimate reason for coming here. He had documentation to prove it, someone to meet, an address and money.

"Unbelievably, one of the reasons he was rejected and sent back home was because he had too much money.

"We had one of our leading members Derek Grammer, who is a respected accountant, waiting at Heathrow and if they had any questions, they should have asked him. But no attempt was made to make contact with Derek, who was left hanging around at the airport and eventually had to go home.

"We realise the Immigration Service has a duty to protect the country from illegal immigrants and criminals but we are concerned at the way they dealt with Deon."

Deon was stopped as he stepped off a plane at Heathrow, where immigration officers quizzed him about why he was entering the country.

He told them about the club and how he had been given a £1,000 advance to cover his travel expenses. But 24 hours later he was forced to get back on a plane to Cape Town.

Mr Sansom said Deon was delighted to be in Brighton and playing cricket at top club level.

He hopes this will help his career as a member of the Eastern Province side when he returns home.

But he is still angry at the way Deon was first turned away.

He said: "Nothing changed between the first time he entered Britain and the second."

Mr Sansom has contacted Hove MP Ivor Caplin, the club's vice president, about the difficulties with Deon's application.

A spokeswoman for the Home Office's Immigration Service said: "If a person is refused entry to this country, there must be a good reason.

"We do not comment on individual cases."