Bournemouth sign all-rounder Voges as overseas

Highly rated Western Australia all-rounder Adam Voges will be Bournemouth's overseas player in the ECB Southern Electric Premier Cricket League this summer.

The 23-year old starlet flies in from Perth at breakfast time tomorrow (SAT) and has been pencilled in to make his Bournemouth debut in Sunday's friendly match against Dorset at Chapel Gate, 11am.

Bournemouth's Director of Cricket Richard Scott described the signing of Voges as a "major coup" and anticipates the young Australian all-rounder will make a major impact in the Premier League this season.

Voges, who was recommended to Bournemouth by Hampshire Team Manager Paul Terry, arrives at Chapel Gate with a glowing CV.

A forcing right-hand batsman and orthodox left-arm spin bowler, he toured England with the Australia Under-19 side in 1999.

He spent 2001 at the famous Commonwealth Bank Academy at Adelaide and earlier this year made four Pura Cup (Sheffield Shield) appearances for the full Western Australia side, playing against Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria.

Ironically, Voges made his debut in the same 4-day match at the WACA against Tasmania as Luke Ronchi, who scored over 2,000 runs in his three seasons with Bashley (Rydal).

He made several scores of 30 and above batting at number 5 in his Pura Cup matches.

Voges, whose nickname is `Happy', has spent all of his adult cricketing career under the watchful eye of Paul Terry at Melville, the powerful WACA Grade club just outside Perth, where the Hampshire man is head coach.

"Adam is a very dedicated young player with a real determination to make his mark in cricket," praised Paul Terry.

"He's the type of player who will quickly adapt to the different playing surfaces in the Premier League and he'll be a massive influence both on and off the field at Bournemouth."

A regular team-mate of Hampshire all-rounder Dimitri Mascarenhas in Western Australia Grade cricket, Voges captained Melville to this season's One-day final, hitting a century against a star-studded Scarborough team under the WACA floodlights.

Mascarenhas played for Bournemouth in 1996, helping Richard Scott's side win the old Southern League championship.

Voges has scored over 2,000 runs and taken almost 100 wickets in A-Grade cricket in Perth.