Mick Newell has concluded his search for a replacement overseas player by signing South African batsmen Ashwell Prince.

Prince, a firm fixture in South Africa’s Test side, scored a memorable 149 against England at Headingley and has a Test Match batting average of 41.

He will make his Notts debut in the NatWest Pro40 floodlit fixture against Durham Dynamos at Trent Bridge on Tuesday 19 August.

“Ashwell has shown in this series that he’s a match-winner and the fact that he’s already in England with his family added to the attraction of signing him,” said Newell.

“He’s in form and it’s always good to sign a player who is playing with confidence. He’ll join us at a vital stage of the season and add quality to our middle order.

“He’s an excellent fielder and he isn’t involved in South Africa’s One Day Fixtures so he fits the bill for perfectly.”

Prince made his Test debut against Australia in 2002 and captained South Africa in their tour of Sri Lanka in 2006.

With Notts topping the tables in NatWest Pro40 and the LV County Championship, he is keen to contribute to a title challenge.

“Notts are in contention for silverware and I’m confident that I can add some experience to the team at an important stage of the season,” said Prince.

“I know that I am joining a competitive team and I have kept my eye on the results ever since the interest was expressed.

“I spoke to Stuart Broad at Headingley long before the deal was concluded and he told me that the setup was good and that Trent Bridge is a great place to play cricket.

“I’m not in the South Africa One Day Squad which frees up my time and hopefully there will be an opportunity for me to play more County Cricket in the future.

“A lot of quality overseas players have gone before me at Notts and I want to score runs for the team.”