KENT left arm spinner Rob Ferley has turned down the chance to stay at the club and decided to join Nottinghamshire.

The 24 year old understudy to Min Patel was offered a new two-year deal, and the county say they thought he was ready to sign, but "after much consideration" he accepted a similar offer to move to the East Midlands county, relegated to Division 2 at the end of last season.

Ferley's move comes less than a month after posting career-best figures of six for 136 against Middlesex and a match return of nine for 206 in what proved to be his final game for Kent.

The Norwich born former England Under-19 international made his debut for Kent against Surrey at The Oval in July 2003, after graduating from Durham University.

Graham Johnson, Kent's chairman of cricket, said: "We are sorry that Rob has decided to leave the club.

"He concluded that with Min Patel and James Tredwell ahead of him at Kent, he would get more opportunity to further his career at Trent Bridge.

"In his limited opportunties on the field, all would have seen his whole-hearted approach, but fewer would have seen what he has added off the field with his attitude and spirit.

"He deserves to do well and it would have been wrong for us to have stood in the way of greater opportunity."