Eight New Contracts and Two Releases at Surrey

29 October 2009

Professional Cricket Manager Chris Adams has handed out eight new contracts at Surrey alongside announcing the release of two other players.

Players to have signed the new deals – which keep them under contract at the Brit Oval until the end of the 2011 season – are batsmen Stewart Walters, Matthew Spriegel, Arun Harinath and Michael Brown; bowlers Stuart Meaker and Simon King and wicket keeper Gary Wilson. There is also a one year deal for seam bowler Tim Linley.

Speaking about his decision to tie up the players for another two years, Adams said: “When I first joined Surrey I knew it would not be possible to provide immediate solutions to the Club’s problems. With this in mind, we have developed a long term structure to return to the position of the leading side in the English game.

“One of the key factors I have identified to help us do that is continuity. No sports team has ever benefitted from a constantly high turnover of players and I am very happy the vast majority of our squad are now able to plan for two or more solid years at Surrey.

“All the players that have recently agreed new deals have yet to reach their potential for this Club and I look forward to exciting times ahead when they are all consistently performing at the height of their ability.”

The announcement of the new contracts coincided with the release of fast bowlers Alex Tudor and Pedro Collins. Tudor, who had earned England honours whilst at Surrey at the turn of the last decade, had recently returned to the Club on a one year deal. Throughout the entirety of his Surrey career, Tudor took 220 first-class wickets at an average of 28.41. He was a big part of County Championship winning sides in 1999, 2000 and 2002 and also played a key part in the Benson and Hedges Cup victory of 2001, where he took 3-28.

West Indian left arm seamer Collins – who has played 32 Test Matches for the West Indies – was at the Brit Oval for two years as a ‘Kolpak’ player, taking 43 wickets at an average of 37.86.

Speaking about the decision to release the duo, Adams concluded: “Both Alex and Pedro are fine players in their own right but the time had come for them to take on a new challenge. I wish them both the best of luck with their future plans and thank them for their contribution to Surrey County Cricket Club.”

Surrey TV report on the new contracts and chat to Tim Linley about his one year deal. Click on the " Play Video " button in the picture at the top of this article to watch the report.