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Middlesex make last-minute Hilton booking

Two-Test batsman signed by Lord's-based county for beginning of UK domestic first-class season

Hilton Cartwright's bid to win back his Test spot could be boosted in the coming months after the powerful Western Australian was signed by Middlesex for the early part of the county season.

The Lords-based club announced Tuesday they'd picked up Cartwright for the beginning of the County Championship season following injuries to England one-day international captain Eoin Morgan and opening batsman Nick Gubbins.



The 26-year-old will be available for selection in Middlesex's opening first-class matches of the season, with the potential to extend his stay.

Cartwright played the most recent of his two Tests in Chittagong on Australia's tour of Bangladesh in September and had been considered a strong chance to hang on to the No.6 spot for the Ashes before selectors went for fellow Warrior Shaun Marsh instead.

His signing is a reversal of Middlesex's policy for the upcoming season, after they had decided not to have an overseas player.

However, with England wanting Test batsman Dawid Malan rested for the opening two four-day games, they felt they had little option but to perform a U-turn.

Middlesex managing director Angus Fraser said the recruitment of Cartwright came on the back of endorsements from WA coach Justin Langer and former Australia Test batsman Adam Voges.

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"Our initial policy was to go into the season without an overseas player, but this situation has changed on the back of injuries to batsmen in the squad and the ECB's decision to rest Dawid Malan for our opening two games of the season," Fraser explained.

"On the back of these events it was felt that we could do with bolstering our batting line-up in the early part of the season, and after conversations with Adam Voges and Justin Langer we believe that Hilton will do just that.

"How much cricket he plays for Middlesex will depend on a number of factors - injuries, England decisions, and the form of players at the start of the season.

"Assuming there are no logistical issues we expect him to play against Durham MCCU on Saturday."

Cartwright - who has a first-class batting average of 43.60 and struck a hundred in his most recent match for Western Australia last month - is expected to be available for a pre-season game on Saturday.

The Zimbabwe-born right-hander, who holds a British passport, boosted his JLT Sheffield Shield season run tally to 617 at 32.47 after scores of 83 and 111 not out in WA's final-round win over South Australia. 

Cartwright admitted last month it had been a "frustrating" season at times.

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"It means a bit more when you've been struggling through a rough patch," he said after his first-innings 83 against the Redbacks.

"I feel like I've been doing a lot of work the whole season, so it was nice to get some reward.

"It's been frustrating, I've felt really good in the nets, really good going into games, I just been getting out and haven't been building an innings very well.

"But I thought today, it was probably one of the best innings I've developed and grown from ball one."

Fellow WarriorAshton Agar is also heading to Lord's this winter, with the left-arm spinner to feature in Middlesex's T20 Blast campaign.