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Nottinghamshire have signed Nathan Astle, the New Zealand Test batsman, to fill their overseas vacancy after Mohammad Zahid's contract was terminated last week due to a stress fracture of the back. The 25- year-old has been signed for the remainder of the season and will be registered in time to play against Northamptonshire today.

Floyd Reifer, the Barbados left-hand batsman, has won his first call- up by the West Indies for a one-day international against Sri Lanka. Reifer set a Red Stripe Cup record of 756 runs in 10 first-class matches for Barbados, including a career-best 200 against the Windward Islands and 151 against Guyana.