Gemaal Hussain heads to Taunton

Somerset have strengthened their bowling attack for next season by signing seamer Gemaal Hussain from Gloucestershire on a three-year contract.

Hussain, 27, was recruited from club cricket in Derbyshire early in the 2009 season to play for Gloucester and was one of the major surprise-packages of the 2010 season, taking 67 wickets in his first full season of Championship cricket to become the leading wicket-taker in the Second Division.

But Hussain rejected Gloucestershire's offer of a new contract earlier this month saying that he wanted to play in the First Division. He was approached by Nottinghamshire and Hampshire but followed his Gloucestershire team-mate Steve Kirby to Taunton.

"Gemaal has had an excellent year and we are delighted to have signed him," said Somerset's director of cricket Brian Rose. "It means that we have got quality and depth in our seam-bowling department."

Gloucestershire are suffering a glut of moves with Hussain the fourth to leave following Kirby, former Zimbabwe seamer Anthony Ireland who has joined Middlesex, and batsman Will Porterfield who has joined Warwickshire.