Worcestershire sign Aussie Noffke

Rhodes has been impressed by Noffke's all-round skills

Worcestershire have signed 31-year-old Australian all-rounder Ashley Noffke for the 2009 season.

Director of cricket Steve Rhodes told BBC Hereford and Worcester he was delighted to have added such an experienced player.

He said: "I have been after him for two years but, while there was some good communication, we couldn't do the deal.

"Thankfully we have managed to get his signature now and we beat a few other counties to it."

Noffke was voted Queensland's Player of the Year in 2007/08 and has had a good start to the new domestic season, taking six wickets in his state's first match. He has a first-class bowling average of 28.07 and a batting average of 27.14.

I looked at Division One and the better sides bat well down the order

Worcestershire director of cricket Steve Rhodes

In recent seasons, Worcestershire have tended to look for bowlers as overseas players, but Rhodes admitted that the retirement of Graeme Hick had changed his thinking.

"I looked at Division One and the better sides bat well down the order - that was certainly the case with Worcestershire sides when we won the Championship," he said.

"We had a lot of runs from lower down the order and if we are going to do well in Division One we need some depth."

Noffke was in the form of his life last year when he became only the third Australian to complete the domestic 'double' of 50 wickets and 500 runs.

He has previously played county cricket for Durham and Gloucestershire, and has appeared in one one-day international and two Twenty20 internationals for his country.

He originally signed a short-term deal with Middlesex for the start of last season, but was unable to join them after being called up by Australia for their tour of the West Indies.

Worcestershire expect to have Noffke available for around four months of the 2009 season before he returns home to prepare for the Australian domestic season.