Nel signs for Surrey – as Advertiser predicted

As predicted by the

Advertiser

on February 6, Surrey have signed South Africa paceman Andre Nel.

The 31-year-old has agreed a three-year deal and will be registered as a Kolpak player following Surrey's decision to sign New Zealander Grant Elliott as an overseas player for the first half of the season.

Nel recently ended his central contract with Cricket South Africa and announced his retirement from the international game. He played 36 Tests for South Africa and 79 one-day internationals in an 11-year career boasting a first-class bowling average of 27.00 and a one-day average of 25.39.

Nel said: "I am delighted to be joining Surrey as I enter a new phase of my career. I have had a number of fantastic experiences here in the UK with South Africa, Northamptonshire and Essex and cannot wait to return to join up with Surrey.

"Surrey are a huge club, entering an exciting new era with Chris Adams at the helm, and I am looking forward to using my experience to work with some of the younger bowlers on the staff and ensure they get back to the top of the English game."

Nel becomes the second new player signed by Surrey manager Adams, who added: "The addition of Andre Nel to the Surrey dressing room underlines the ambition I have for the club. He has proven pace, power and wicket-taking ability and will be a fantastic addition to our pace team.

"As a proven international bowler, Andre will bring aggression on the pitch and experience off it. With exciting home-developed fast bowlers such as Jade Dernbach and Stuart Meaker also at the club, Surrey will be a force to be reckoned with in 2009 and beyond."