Sheffield Shield final hero Steve Magoffin has become the second Queensland bowler to walk away from the Bulls in three days after announcing he will finish his career in England.
After Chris Swan hung up the boots for Queensland on Monday, Magoffin, 32, told the Bulls on Wednesday he had signed with English county side Sussex and would not return.
He will play the remainder of the county season and next year’s entire UK summer campaign.
Magoffin’s last game for Queensland was a memorable one.
Linking with Queensland last season after being dumped by Western Australia, Magoffin defied a back injury to make a match-winning 45-run eighth-wicket stand with Chris Hartley in a remarkable Shield final against Tasmania at the Gabba.
“It’s definitely a case of mixed emotions for me,” Magoffin said.
“I was so pleased to finally play for Queensland last season and to finish that way with a Shield title was the stuff that dreams are made of.
“But I’m at a stage now where my wife Becky and I are starting a family later this year and the opportunity to play on in England with Sussex and be here with her family when the baby comes is the best thing for us.”
Magoffin took 23 wickets at 16.60 and hit 175 runs at 25 in six Shield games for the Bulls.
Initially from Queensland, Magoffin left for WA after being stuck behind a Bulls bowling pecking order that featured Michael Kasprowicz, Andy Bichel, Ashley Noffke and Mitchell Johnson.
He made his debut for WA in 2004-05 and, overall, took 190 first-class wickets for the Warriors, including 38 early in the 2008-09 season that ensured he was flown to South Africa as a standby Test bowler.
“There were no promises when I came back home from WA but they (Queensland) looked out for me and things panned out, probably better than I could have hoped,” Magoffin said.