Tremlett signs for Surrey

Chris Tremlett, the six-foot-seven-inch paceman, has signed for Surrey on a three-year deal after being given permission by Hampshire to leave the Rose Bowl.

Tremlett, 28, played three Tests for England in 2007 and impressed as his pace and bounce brought 13 wickets against India. Since then, he has been ravaged by injuries and has fallen off the selectors' radar.

Chris Adams, the Surrey coach, said however, that Tremlett has his best years ahead of him and has all the attributes to push for an international recall. "In Chris Tremlett, Surrey have signed a bowler of Test Match ability who is just beginning to approach the prime of his career," he said.

"His height, action and pace make him very well suited to bowling at The Oval and I am looking forward to him developing partnerships with our existing pace attack. He is joining a very different and highly motivated Surrey side and I feel we have got somebody that has the right attributes to continue his England career."

Surrey are in a period of rebuilding their side having appointed 22-year-old Rory Hamilton-Brown as their captain for next season and Tremlett said he's looking forward to helping Surrey return to the pinnacle of the domestic game. "Coming to Surrey will open an exciting chapter in my career and I am very much looking forward to getting the opportunity to work alongside my new team mates to help return this great club back to the top of English cricket."

Tremlett has taken 289 wickets at 28.66 in his first-class career, but played only seven championship matches for Hampshire during another injury-plagued season last year. With the arrival of Kabir Ali, another former England bowler, at the Rose Bowl last week, Tremett's place in the Hampshire side was uncertain.

"Chris is in a similar position to what Kabir was at Worcestershire," Rod Bransgrove, the Hampshire chairman, said. "A new environment will help to challenge and revitalise his career at both domestic and International level and he has therefore been released from his contract with immediate effect. I sincerely hope that this move will allow him to regain the cutting edge we all know he possesses and give him the best chance of re-capturing a place in the England team."