Nottinghamshire have completed the signing of Leicestershire batsman Greg Smith on a two-year deal.

The 25-year old opener scored 1448 runs in all competitions last season including a 54-ball 102 against Notts Outlaws in the NatWest T20 Blast.

“Nottinghamshire is a great Club with a proud history and I want to play a part in their continued success in the years ahead,” said Smith.

“Leicestershire have been great to me and I will always be grateful to the fans, the players and the coaches for the start they have given me in the game.

“However, it feels like the right time to start a fresh chapter in my career and I’m very excited to be moving to Trent Bridge.”

Nottinghamshire Director of Cricket Mick Newell was keen to recruit a top-order batsman having lost the services of Phil Jaques who scored 894 runs in 11 LV= County Championship matches in 2014 before leaving Trent Bridge to pursue a coaching role. 

“We’ve got players in and around England squads who we expect to be missing at key times and we needed to recruit a top order batsman to accommodate that,” said Newell.

“Greg has scored hundreds against us for Durham University and Leicestershire and he’s a player that we have kept an eye on for a long time.

“He will begin the season in competition with Steven Mullaney and Jake Libby for a place at the top of the order and it’s up to all three of those players to catch the eye during our pre-season matches.”

Smith has scored 4303 first class runs in 85 matches at an average of 28.68. His elevation to Division One of the LV= County Championship will bring new challenges but Newell believes that he has the quality to step up.

“Greg has done well for Leicestershire but we feel he has significant potential which we want to tap into,” said Newell.

“He can make a contribution in all formats and he will add depth and competition for a key place in our team.”