Not for the first time, Chris Tremlett is battling to be fit for the start of a new cricket season.

But he is now doing so as a Surrey player, having made the decision to make a fresh start away from his home town six months ago.

We meet at the Rose Bowl, a few weeks before Tremlett suffered the groin injury that forced him out of the season’s curtain raiser in Abu Dhabi, where he was due to play for the MCC against champions Durham this week.

Despite experiencing the most frustrating season of his career last summer, Tremlett is looking forward to a fresh challenge at the Brit Oval.

The 28-year-old believes it can reignite his international career but admits his dad Tim, Hampshire’s director of cricket and long-serving former player, took a while to get used to the idea of his son playing for another county.

“To be honest, he was pretty upset to hear me talk about wanting to leave at the end of September, but I think he knew that, deep down, it’s probably the right thing,” said Tremlett, an Old Tauntonian and one of Hampshire’s longest-serving players before being persuaded to sign for Surrey by Chris Adams.

“As one of the few Hampshire boys playing for Hampshire, quite a lot of people were shocked I wanted to leave and my dad’s a bit sad I won’t be playing here anymore. But I’m sure he’ll get used to it!"

Full story in today's Daily Echo