Steve Magoffin

Tall, thin and fast, Steve Magoffin was a successful Western Australian import who has stepped comfortably into the first-class arena since leaving Queensland. With the state's bowling stocks faltering, the Warriors looked to Magoffin, who was a Queensland Academy of Sport player, and he made his debut in 2004-05, playing every Pura Cup match and adding 28 wickets at 35.10. At 194cm, Magoffin has a similar frame to his mentor Greg Rowell, the former Australia A bowler, and he is an especially intimidating prospect on the WACA. He can also swing the ball and has been responsible for big hauls, including a career-best 8 for 47 against South Australia in 2005-06. He finished that season with 25 victims at 25.52 and then spent the winter in England, where he starred against the touring Sri Lankans with 4 for 14 in their warm-up game against the Sir Paul Getty XI.

Magoffin continued his impressive run in 2006-07 with 33 wickets at 27.57 and he was equal third on the FR Cup tally with 15 victims at 23.73. The wickets kept coming the following summer when he picked up 35 in the Pura Cup at 25.48 and was the state's leading FR Cup bowler with 14 victims at 27.21. A successful spell with Worcestershire followed for Magoffin, who went even higher after another strong home campaign. Having captured 38 breakthroughs in the 2008-09 Sheffield Shield, he was flown to South Africa as a stand-by player for the injury-hit national squad.

Interest from Australia never materialised but Magoffin became a regular in county cricket where his ability to hit the seam from a great height made him a testing proposition. He had spells at Leicestershire, Worcestershire and Surrey before signing with Sussex ahead of the 2012 season. He was an immediate success there, taking 7 for 34 on his debut for the county to deliver Sussex victory over Lancashire and bowling with metronomic accuracy even if his pace had quietened from his early days. He switched back to Worcestershire as he approached his 38th birthday, confident he could handle First Division life in the twilight of his career.
Peter English