Surrey add Australian quick to give depth to Blast squad depleted by T20 World Cup

The left-arm quick arrives for the first eight matches of the tournament following his IPL commitments with Gujarat Titans

Surrey have moved to strengthen a depleted T20 Blast squad with the signing of Spencer Johnson for the first eight games of the competition.

The Australian left-arm quick arrives for the first eight matches of the tournament, with his presence set to offset the losses of Reece Topley, Chris Jordan, Sam Curran and Will Jacks to the T20 World Cup.

Alec Stewart had trailed in pre-season that Surrey's activity in the overseas market would depend on their England involvement in the World Cup squad announced last week, after Australian allrounder Aaron Hardie was withdrawn from his stint at the Kia Oval by Cricket Australia.

But the absences in particular of T20 captain Jordan and fellow left-armers Topley and Curran have forced Surrey's hand.

In Johnson, though, they have a premium replacement, whose experience of south London began last summer with a starring role for Oval Invincibles in The Hundred.

^{Johnson played for Oval Invincibles last summer in The Hundred (Julian Finney/Getty Images)}

"I'm very excited to join Surrey and I have some fantastic memories from playing at the Kia Oval last year," he said. "Surrey have a great squad and I can’t wait to contribute with the ball in front of the packed-out crowds in south London."

Johnson, 28, is on IPL duty at the moment with Gujarat Titans and had been considered a decent bet for a World Cup spot himself after his remarkable rise over the last 18 months.

He is set to join up with Surrey ahead of the competition, with a likely debut in the season opener against Hampshire on May 30.

Alec Stewart, Surrey's director of men's cricket, added: "Spencer is a highly talented cricketer who has shown his skills in white ball cricket at the highest levels. He will add strength to our bowling unit in the first part of the group stages when we have four players away at the World Cup with England."

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