Do not be surprised if one of England’s chief tormentors in the Ashes this term is someone from a little closer to home.

Australian leg spinner Adam Zampa has not only just signed a four-year deal to play for Melbourne Stars in his country’s Big Bash T20 competition.

But he has also agreed to play for Surrey Championship Division One promotion hopefuls East Molesey this summer, to ensure he is the first in line to answer his country’s call in the event of injury.

Zampa, who has been compared favourably to leg-spinning legend Shane Warne, is in the Australia A one-day squad for matches against India A in August, with some punters Down Under surprised he was not part of coach Darren Lehman’s Ashes plans this summer.

 East Molesey lost last year’s overseas player Gayan Sirisoma to the Sri Lanka A team weeks before the start of this term, but have already benefited to the tune of 128 runs and 18 wickets from late replacement Zampa this summer.

And skipper Sam Burge is hopeful his men can cash in on the 23-year-old’s star quality for as long as he remains at Graburn Way.

“The main reason he came to us was because he wanted to be in the frame if anything untoward happened to Australia’s spinning options,” said Burge.

“He was close to getting in to the Ashes squad and some were surprised he did not make it.

“He is about third in line at the moment. The Aussies have Nathan Lyon and Fawad Ahmed coming here, so if anything happens to them I fully expect him to get the call.

“He heads off with Australia A at the end of July and until then I will certainly be making the most of his ability while he is here.”

East Molesey missed out on promotion to the top flight by three points last summer, on the back of 52 wickets from Sirisoma.

They are currently second in the table this term after Saturday’s 13-run win over Cranleigh, which came largely thanks to Zampa’s 6-79 that helped dismiss the visitors for 213, having been well placed at 212 for seven chasing Molesey’s 226 all out.

Burge, whose side were relegated from the Premier Division in 2013, believes he has a much stronger squad than last year and is confident of securing promotion in Zampa’s absence.

And the 26-year-old skipper reckons his side – who scored more than a hundred runs from their final four wickets on Saturday – would have the wherewithal to remain in the top flight if they secured a return.

“Our strength is the fact we have so many quality all-rounders which means we bat until very low in our innings,” he added.

“We are also a young and ambitious side with all the players reaching or enjoying their cricketing peak.

“Last year we did not do so well against the teams that finished first, second and fourth around us.

“I think Cranleigh will be up there this year, so Saturday’s win is a good indication we can go well.

“With the teams coming into this league from above and below, it was always going to be a tough standard of cricket this year.

“But we have started well with four wins from five games and hopefully that can continue.”