Surrey have underlined their hunger for more success by signing paceman Matt Fisher.

The 26-year-old, who played one Test for England in 2022, finished an injury-interrupted season strongly with Yorkshire, claiming 18 wickets in their final three Vitality County Championship matches, a sizeable contribution to achieving promotion from Division Two.

Last season Surrey became the first team to win a hat-trick of Championship titles for 56 years and can now set their sights on achieving a fourth title, which has not been done since Stuart Surridge and Peter May led a monopoly of seven straight triumphs from 1952-58.

“I’ve always looked to strengthen our squad straight after we’ve won the Championship, so bringing in a player of Matt’s ability and experience made perfect sense,” explained director of cricket Alec Stewart.

“With Conor McKerr leaving and the expected England call-ups next summer, it’s important that we maintain a quality bowling group.”

Fisher, who has taken 144 first-class wickets at 26.5 overall, said: “I’m excited and honoured to have signed for Surrey.

“I’ve watched the recent successes of the squad with huge admiration and I hope to contribute to more in the coming years.

“I’m also looking forward to working with some of the best players and coaches in the game.”

Fisher first hit the headlines when he made his debut for Yorkshire aged just 15 and 212 days, against Leicestershire in the Yorkshire Bank 40 competition in 2013, the youngest cricketer to appear in a competitive county match since the Second World War.

That early excellence perhaps counted against him as he suffered a succession of injuries which have hindered his progress. A breakthrough came in 2022 when he made his Test debut against West Indies in Barbados, taking one for 71 overall.

Surrey are acutely aware that they were heavily dependent on Dan Worrall and Jordan Clark for their third title.

Worrall’s 52 wickets at 16 apiece – in 11 matches – underlined his reputation as one of the outstanding seamers in the domestic game, his control and ability to outwit batters compared by Stewart to Jimmy Anderson.

But the 33-year-old, who was born and brought up in Australia and played three one-day internationals in 2016, becomes eligible for England next year and is likely to come into consideration, not least with an Ashes tour at the end of it.

Clark’s 38 wickets – plus 467 runs – highlighted the immense all-round contribution he has made to Surrey since arriving in 2019.

With England selection confining Gus Atkinson to five games this year and injuries affecting Tom Lawes and Jamie Overton, it was little wonder Stewart opted to strengthen that department.

McKerr, who played three matches in the run-in to the title, has switched to Nottinghamshire after limited opportunities.

Greater depth in the seam department would also enable Surrey to use their two overseas slots differently, with the possibility of opting for an overseas spinner.

Shakib Al Hasan claimed nine wickets on his solitary appearance, against Somerset at Taunton.

By Richard Spiller