James Anderson has signed a one-year contract at Surrey and has set a target of winning the County Championship next summer.

The Guardian revealed last week that Surrey had offered Anderson a 12-month deal after his surprise release by Lancashire last month, which the 44-year-old has now signed.

Anderson also had offers from several other counties after being deemed surplus to requirements after 25 years on the books at Old Trafford, but Surrey’s proven track record of winning trophies and ability to comfortably absorb his wage demands within their £3.2m salary cap gave them the edge.

Surrey have nine players on England and Wales Cricket Board central contracts, five of whom are seam bowlers, so Anderson will provide important backup to a squad that underachieved last year by finishing seventh in Division One of the Championship.

In the four years previous to that they won the Championship three years in a row and finished second in 2025.

“It’s an honour to join a club like Surrey and I can’t wait to start a new chapter in my career,” Anderson said. “Surrey have a great squad and are a team that expects to be fighting for Championship titles and I’m excited to be a part of that.

“I still feel like I have a lot to offer, taking wickets, trying to help the team win games of cricket. I also think that I can bring a lot to the team off the field and help those young players who are looking to develop their skills and go on and represent their country.

“I’ve always loved playing at the Kia Oval. For me it’s one of the best grounds in the world. It’s a place that I have some incredibly special memories at and I hope to create some more next season.”

Anderson dropped hints a couple of weeks ago that he was thinking of playing on after digesting the disappointment of being released by Lancashire.

Anderson took 50 wickets at an average of 17.68 in Division Two for Lancashire last season, and while the side struggled, finishing second bottom of the table, he felt he had done enough to be retained, expressing “sadness and shock” at being released.

While his workload will have to be carefully managed, as he turns 45 in July, Anderson’s availability for the whole of Surrey’s Championship campaign was another major plus.

Alec Stewart, the Surrey men’s director of cricket, who was an England player when Anderson made his international debut in 2002, said: “We’re delighted to bring someone of the calibre of Sir James Anderson to Surrey. Jimmy brings quality with the ball. His 50 Championship wickets last season prove that he is still one of the best bowlers in the country.

“Jimmy also brings a wealth of experience to the group that all our bowlers will learn from. Much of our squad have international aspirations, and they will learn a great deal from training, playing and being in the same dressing room with Jimmy.”

Surrey are yet to appoint a head coach for next season after Gareth Batty, who won three successive County Championships between 2022 and 2024, left the Oval to join Chennai Super Kings last month.

Meanwhile, Durham are closing in on the appointment of former England bowling coach Ottis Gibson as their new head coach to replace Ryan Campbell, who stood down at the end of last season after leading his side to the Division Two title.

Campbell has replaced Marcus North – who left Durham midway through the campaign to become national selector for the England and Wales Cricket Board – as the club’s director of cricket and has led the search for his replacement.

Gibson spent two years at Durham in a playing career that saw him appear in two Test matches and 15 one day internationals for the West Indies before moving into coaching.

In a well-travelled career the 57-year-old has had two spells as England’s bowling coach as well as head coach roles with West Indies, South Africa and most recently Yorkshire, leaving Headingley two years ago.

Gibson has a house in the north-east as his wife is from the area, and would appear a shrewd appointment for Durham on their return to Division One for a Championship season in which Ben Stokes is expected to play in the majority of their matches.