Batty hopes a return to The Oval can revive his England career
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Former England off-spinner Gareth Batty is to rejoin Surrey from Worcestershire on a three-year contract. Batty, 31, will return to The Oval next summer, having played for Surrey from 1998 to 2001 before going to New Road. "I still have aspirations to get back playing Test cricket for England again and I feel the move to Surrey will help me do that," said Batty. Worcestershire team-mate Steven Davies is also leaving New Road at the end of the season to join Surrey. And Surrey cricket manager Chris Adams is hoping their arrival will help revitalise a squad that has underperformed in the Championship this season, winning just one game out of 12 so far. He said Batty's arrival would bring "healthy competition" for bowling places in the team.
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"Having several options within the spin department is integral to a successful team and I now feel confident that we have a lot of depth," Adams added. Batty's role in his previous stint at The Oval, following his arrival from his native Yorkshire, was chiefly as a one-day player. He made just one County Championship appearance, in 2001, for a Surrey team who were then reigning champions, having won back-to-back titles in 1999 and 2000. Batty left to join Worcestershire in 2002, the year that Surrey won the Championship for a third time in four summers. But, since enjoying a one-day Twenty20 Cup/National League double in 2003, they have won no silverware. And Batty admits: "I really hope that I can play a part in helping Surrey win some trophies again."
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