AVEBURY have signed South African first-class player Wes Hartslief ahead of the 2015 season.

All-rounder Hartslief, 28, has six years’ experience playing professionally with South West Districts in his homeland and has enjoyed several spells with clubs in the UK throughout the past decade.

He spent the last two seasons with Devon side Plympton and arrives at Avebury following their promotion to Wiltshire League Division Two.

Hartslief scored 961 runs at 36.96 and took 57 wickets at 13.26 in two years at Lympton and last season produced two of the Devon League performances of the year – hitting a 44-ball 113 against Chudleigh and claiming figures of 6-10 against Barton.

Avebury chairman Dominic Fry said: “He’s a fairly serious cricketer. He smashed all sorts of records in the Devon League.

“He’s a fully-qualified coach as well, so are hoping for him to look after the coaching of our junior teams in the summer as well.

“He’s heaps oF fun and a lovely guy, who I’m sure will be taken to by everyone at Avebury and right through the league.

“The whole process of bringing people in from abroad is fraught with risks but we’ve done our homework and I’ve had a really great time speaking with Wes over the last few months.

“We’re an unusual club as we’re either players who are fed up somewhere else or players who want to join a club who punch above their weight.”