Dan Lawrence: England batter to join Surrey from Essex

England middle-order batter Dan Lawrence will leave Essex to join Surrey on a three-year deal at the end of this season.

The most recent of the 25-year-old's 11 Test appearances was in March last year, but he was included in the squad for this summer's Ashes.

He has scored 5,898 runs at an average of 35.96 in first-class cricket.

"It is with a heavy heart that I will be leaving Essex at the end of this season," he told the Surrey website., external

"Essex is the county who taught me how to play the game, developed me as a person and allowed me to play the sport I love professionally.

"I'm excited for the new challenges the 2024 season will bring when I take the field for Surrey."

Lawrence made his first-class debut for Essex in April 2015 aged 17, and has gone on to make 13 centuries and 28 half-centuries in red-ball cricket.

He has also scored 1,902 runs at 25.70 in T20 cricket and taken 64 wickets across all formats with his right-arm off-spin.

Surrey director of cricket Alec Stewart said Lawrence will add "genuine strength and depth" to the squad at the Kia Oval.

"He wants to fulfil his ambitions of being the very best player he can be and become an England regular in all formats," Stewart said.

"We will do all we can to support his aims."