Nottinghamshire sign Blewett and Pietersen

Nottinghamshire have signed the Australian Test all-rounder Greg Blewett as their overseas player for next season. The South Australian will replace Paul Reiffel at Trent Bridge.

Nottinghamshire have signed the Australian Test all-rounder Greg Blewett as their overseas player for next season. The South Australian will replace Paul Reiffel at Trent Bridge.

The signing of Blewett is a surprise, given his dismal return for Yorkshire in 1999 when he scored just 655 runs in 23 County Championship innings, including 288 in one match, and claimed only five wickets. The Nottinghamshire coach, Clive Rice, is convinced, however, that the 29-year-old will inspire a push for promotion to the First Division. "Greg is a very exciting stroke-maker who will strengthen our batting line-up," Rice said.

"I would like to think he is not just a 1,000 run man but is more than capable of contributing 1,300 or 1,400." Blewett made his Test debut in the 1994-95 Ashes series and has played 46 times for Australia, hitting four centuries - including two in his first two matches.

Rice has added another South African player, the all-rounder Kevin Pietersen, to the Trent Bridge staff.

Pietersen, an off-spinner and a hard-hitting lower-order batsman, qualifies for county cricket because of his mother's British passport. The 20-year-old has turned his back on Natal and he will now be classed as an overseas player in his homeland.