Worcestershire sign Hughes

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Worcestershire have strengthened their batting ranks with the signing of Australian Phil Hughes for the latter half of next season

Worcestershire have secured the services of Australia batsman Phil Hughes for the second half of the 2012 season.

The 23-year-old, who had a short spell at Middlesex in 2009, will arrive at New Road in the first week of June and stay at the club for the remainder of the summer.

The left-handed opener, who made his Australia debut three years ago against South Africa, soon became the youngest player to make two centuries in a Test and has scored over 1,000 runs in 16 five-day matches for his country.

Hughes said: "I'm absolutely thrilled to be heading back to England in 2012. Worcestershire is a quality organisation and I can't wait to meet my new team-mates and re-acquaint myself with English conditions.

"My previous stint in England helped my batting enormously and I have high expectations that spending the 2012 Australian winter in the UK will do the same.

"I look forward to helping Worcestershire be a force in all forms of the game in 2012."

Director of cricket Steve Rhodes added: "To gain the signature of the current Australian Test opener is a tremendous boost for the club and the players for the 2012 season.

“Phil is a heavy run-scorer with a career ratio of a century every four games in first-class cricket. In 2009 he amassed 574 first-class runs in three games for Middlesex, including three centuries, which demonstrates his hunger for run-scoring.

“I look forward to working closely with Phil during the second half of the season."

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