Ashley Noffke bounced into a Cricket Australia contract and on to an Ashes tour in 2001 and has stayed in the national selectors' minds despite a series of injuries. In the past two seasons he has rediscovered some of the penetration that earned early comparisons with Glenn McGrath, and his contributions in 2006-07 earned him a recall to Australia A colours for a trip to Pakistan. His 30 Pura Cup wickets at 24.30 were complemented by two half-centuries and a strong FR Cup campaign led to the Queensland Player of the Year prize and a spot in Australia's preliminary Twenty20 world championship squad. Further impressive gains were made in 2007-08 when he collected 51 first-class wickets and scored 741 runs, making him the third Australian behind George Giffen and Greg Matthews to capture the 50-wicket, 500-run season double. That form earned him his first two Twenty20 international appearances, his initial ODI in Brisbane, and a spot on Australia's Test tour of West Indies in 2008.

It was a satisfying set of jumps after he struggled between 2003 and 2005 with back and ankle problems that sat next to inflated averages. Hoping to enjoy endless summers, he seemed to suffer from off-season stints with Middlesex and Durham that twice ended in early flights home. Noffke's Ashes experience also finished in the same way after he rolled his ankle attempting a soccer-style run-out in the tour match against Sussex. It was a painful conclusion to an encouraging trip of three games, but he lost his national contract the following year before recapturing it with 41 first-class victims at 22.65 in 2002-03. The return gained him a second tour with the Australians, and he played two games in the West Indies on the way to re-joining Middlesex and picking up a back problem.

Noffke hails from the Sunshine Coast, bowls with good rhythm from a high, clean and uncomplicated action and develops excellent pace through most of his spells. The Bulls' wealth of riches in the pace bowling department ensured it was not until 2000-01 that he made a real mark at interstate level. Man-of-the-Match performances in the opening game of the summer's Mercantile Mutual Cup program and the Pura Cup final, when he mixed 43 as nightwatchman with seven wickets for the game, headlined his rise. A former Academy associate scholarship holder, Noffke was the leading wicket taker in Brisbane grade cricket in both 1997-98 and 1998-99 and the Queensland Academy of Sport Player of the Year in 1998-99. To add to his skills with the ball, he is also a capable lower-order batsman who can defend stoutly, and in 2003-04 he raised his maiden first-class century with 114 not out against South Australia. Noffke uses the skills learned through a business degree in a sports-shoe-conversion enterprise with former team-mate Joe Dawes.
Cricinfo staff April 2008

State Player of the Year Award - 2008

• Clark studies McGrath method (May 15, 2008)
  
• Johnson holds the upper hand in pace race (May 9, 2008)
  
• Nielsen tips stable first Test line-up (May 4, 2008)
  
• Lights up over a new era (Apr 17, 2008)
  
• Kumble ruled out of IPL opening fixture (Apr 16, 2008)
  

View the full list of 98 related articles

Mar 13, 2008 Members of the Australian Cricketers' Association all-star Pura Cup and FR Cup teams for 2007-08 © Getty Images

Mar 13, 2008 Members of the Australian Cricketers' Association all-star Pura Cup and FR Cup teams for 2007-08 © Getty Images

Feb 26, 2008 Ashley Noffke walked away with State Player of the Year © Getty Images

View the full list of 24 related images