David Hussey satisfies Notts' 10-year itch

Australian batsman David Hussey is set to return for an eighth stint with Nottinghamshire with a ringing endorsement from Notts' director of cricket Mick Newell, who says he has been the county's first-choice overseas player for the past decade.

"David has been my first thought when recruiting overseas players for 10 years now and he adds a lot of value in all formats," said Newell. "For me, he is more than good enough to have warranted Test selection and to have a player of that calibre with an affinity for a particular county is rare and something that we have embraced."

Hussey, who made his Nottinghamshire debut in 2004, joins up for the Friends Life t20 competition in June and will also be available for five LV= County Championship matches and four CB40 matches. He will be preceded by another Australian batsman, Ed Cowan, who will play the first part of the season before making an expected switch to Australia's Ashes squad.

"It has become increasingly difficult to sign a quality overseas player for an entire season but we are pleased that David and Ed will both spend a good amount of time with us," Newell said.

Hussey, who holds the club record for Twenty20 appearances, will captain Notts Outlaws throughout the FLt20 tournament.

"There are lots of things I enjoy about playing for Notts but the characters in the dressing room, the atmosphere at Trent Bridge and the fact that the team are always competitive are the main reasons," said Hussey.

"Captaining Notts Outlaws is something that I really enjoy and my method is to try and think two overs ahead of everybody else and to bring some stability in pressure situations.

"When I look at the squad I think that there is the potential for us to make it to Finals Day but also to mount a serious challenge in the Championship. I played all of the championship-winning season in 2005 and contributed in 2010 and those trophies rank amongst the best achievements of my career."

If Hussey is to help Nottinghamshire maintain a title challenge, the early season form of Cowan could also be crucial. He is backing his fellow Australian to make a strong start.

"I've played a lot of cricket against Eddie and he is a high class player with great technical ability and a solid temperament," said Hussey. "He is used to playing in bowler friendly conditions in Tasmania where the wickets tend to be similar to Trent Bridge and he is a good player of pace which bodes well for Nottinghamshire."

Nottinghamshire are yet to contract an overseas player for the final month of the season but hope to secure the services of Cowan or Hussey subject to international commitments.