Hodd signs for cricket big-shots Surrey

Having jetted off to Australia on Tuesday for two months of winter tuition with Justin Langer's batting coach, a week after returning he will link up with new county Surrey on their pre-season tour to Barbados before preparing for their 2004 domestic season.

The Bexhill-based 20-year-old wicket-keeper, who has played for England under-19s, is relishing the prospect of joining his new employers having recently signed a two-year contract after leaving county champions Sussex.

He said: "I can't wait, it's really good news. I've met up with the squad once and they seem like really good guys. I would say they're the biggest club in the country, they've won 11 trophies in seven years. I'm very pleased to have got a two-year deal because a lot of my friends and people I've played with have only got one-year contracts. Alec Stewart (now chief marketing officer) is going to be around quite a bit as well and that helped my decision a lot."

The former Bexhill College student and Bexhill Cricket Club player, pictured, made a single first team appearance for Sussex, whom he has been with since the age of 10, in a tour match against Zimbabwe last summer but has found his opportunities limited by the highly-rated Tim Ambrose and Matt Prior, who has just signed a new four-year contract.

Hodd believes though that his immense talents will be greater utilised at Surrey where he will line-up alongside the likes of Graham Thorpe and Mark Butcher. He continued: "It's a similar standard but it's just a chance to play more first team games. I think what Surrey have in their big players, Sussex make up for with such a tight squad from what I've experienced. I would like to play a handful of first team games. Jonathan Batty is going to be captaining, opening the batting and keeping wicket so there might be quite a few games in the season where he just wants to focus on one or the other."

Nonetheless he still has fond memories of his time at Hove. He went on: "It was fantastic. It's still my home county and I've played all my cricket there. All the coaches have been great and the people have been great. I've improved a lot over the last couple of years and I'm a bit more confident in every aspect of the game."