STEVE Magoffin admits his first spell with Worcestershire was a key time in his development as a bowler.

The paceman, now back at New Road for the 2018 campaign, initially played for the County a decade ago.

It helped him get used to playing a high volume of cricket as he came close to playing for Australia and then carved out a successful career.

Magoffin said of the 2008 season: “It was my second time in England but my first playing any volume of county cricket so it was a really new experience for me.

“I can reflect on that now as being a very important season in my development as a bowler.

“I returned to Australia after that stint and had the best seasons in my Australian career.

“It got me used to playing a high volume of cricket, back-to-back games and things like that which doesn’t really happen too much in Australia.”

Magoffin enjoyed playing with the likes of Graeme Hick and Vikram Solanki.

He said: “The personnel was different back then but there were some legends of the club playing then.

“Playing with Graeme and Vikram will be remembered fondly at the end of my career. It was a great time.”

After his spell at New Road, Magoffin returned Down Under and was called up for the Australian tour of South Africa.

He admitted: “It was a very brief call-up. There were a few injury niggles around the team in South Africa so I flew over for the second Test.

“I was close to playing but the guys who had injury concerns were all OK on the morning of the game.”

Meanwhile, George Rhodes' Onslow share the leadership in the Ewen Chatfield Trophy.

The Worcestershire all-rounder is the New Zealand side’s leading run-getter with 349 from eight innings at an average of 49.86.

Josh Dell tops Midland-Guildford's averages in the Western Australia Cricket Association second grade with 293 runs from five innings.

Charlie Morris is third in the bowling averages for Tuggeranong Valley in the  McDonald’s ACT Premier Cricket first grade with 93.2-9-325-11 at an average of 29.55.