Tremlett feeling close to full fitness

Chris Tremlett has said he is getting close to bowling at full tilt again as he continues his rehabilitation from the knee and back injuries that limited him to one County Championship appearance for Surrey last year.

Over the last month, Tremlett has been increasing his workload in the indoor nets at The Oval and next week will travel to Potchefstroom in South Africa to training alongside an England development squad.

"It's been going really well. We've been in the indoor school for the last month or so, stepping it up each week," he told Surrey TV. "During the last three weeks, I'm not far off from sending it down at near 100 percent."

"I'm looking forward to getting out to South Africa now - it's a great opportunity which the ECB have given me to go over there and join a couple of the Surrey lads and will be a good progression to get outside and up the intensity of my bowling."

Tremlett has his sights set on Surrey's opening Championship match of the season against Somerset and admitted that when he returned to playing last season he was never completely confident in his body.

"I had stages last year where I came back to playing but I never felt that my body was 100 percent fit", he said. "I can say at the moment that my body feels normal - which is a very nice feeling."

Tremlett played the last of his 11 Tests against Pakistan, in Dubai, last January. He flew home shortly after that outing with a back problem which required surgery. He was a key part of England's Ashes series victory in Australia during 2010-11, when he claimed 17 wickets in three matches, and overall has taken 49 Test wickets.