Former Leicestershire and England fast bowler Jimmy Ormond has signed a three year deal with Surrey it was officially announced by the home county side yesterday.

The announcement ends several weeks of waiting over whether or not Ormond would join Somerset for 2002.

Coupled with the departure of Jason Kerr to Derbyshire the door is now open for one of the young bowlers on the Somerset staff to step up and take their opportunity.

Certainly newcomer Simon Francis, who joined Somerset at the end of last season after being on the Hampshire staff is already looking forward to 2002 and busy preparing for the new season.

Recently when I talked to him at the County Ground he told me that he was spending everyday at the ground, either at the Academy Fitness Centre or bowling in the indoor nets.

Simon told me that he has settled in well at Somerset and enjoying living in this part of the world. Currently he said he was living in a village in West Somerset, where he was sharing a house with another former Hampshire player Mark Garaway who joined the county in October as assistant coach and Director of the Regional Centre of Excellence at the County Ground.

© SOMERSET