Smith seals Middlesex move

Tom Smith, who attracted interest from a clutch of counties, opted to sign a three-year contract with Middlesex

Middlesex have completed the signing of left-arm spinner Tom Smith from Sussex.

The highly-rated 22-year-old has put pen to paper on a three-year contract that will keep him at Lord’s until the end of the 2012 season.

Middlesex have been keen to find a replacement for Indian slow left-armer Murali Kartik, who played a key role in their Twenty20 Cup triumph last year but left at the end of the season to join Somerset.

Angus Fraser, Middlesex’s managing director of cricket, said: “We’ve been watching Tom for quite some time and are thrilled that, despite interest from a number of other counties, he has chosen to commit his future to Middlesex for the next three years.

“We are absolutely delighted to have Tom on board and are excited at the prospect of him and Shaun Udal forming a formidable spin partnership.”

Smith made his senior debut for Sussex in 2006, but has struggled to force his way into the first team since.

He made a solitary LV= County Championship appearance this summer, and ended the season on loan at Surrey, for whom he played two NatWest Pro40 games.

Fraser added: “Tom’s opportunities in recent seasons have been extremely limited at Sussex, not surprisingly given Mushtaq Ahmed’s and, more recently, Piyush Chawla’s presence in the Sussex spinning ranks, and Tom joins us relishing the opportunity to play more first-team cricket.”

“He has made an encouraging start to his career and this has been rewarded by the ECB, who named him in their Performance Programme squad this week alongside Middlesex’s own Steven Finn and John Simpson.

“We are looking forward to rewarding Tom with the first-team opportunities that his undoubted talent deserves.”