Experienced batsman James Hildreth has committed his future to Somerset County Cricket Club.

The 36-year-old, whose current contract was due to expire at the end of the 2021 campaign, has agreed to an extension which will see him remain with the club that he has served with distinction until at least the end of the 2022 season.

Hildreth, who developed his love of the game at Stony Stratford CC, made his debut for Somerset in 2003 and has played 665 matches across the three formats for the club, scoring over 25,996 runs. He is also the club’s all time leading scorer in T20 cricket with 3,694 runs.

The former Millfield School pupil was a key member of Somerset’s last two trophy winning teams, scoring the winning runs when the club lifted the Twenty20 Cup in 2005 and the Royal London One-Day Cup in 2019.

His consistently impressive performances for Somerset have seen him awarded with his county cap and he was also granted a testimonial year in 2017.

After signing his extension, he said: “I absolutely love the club and I just want to go on playing here for as long as possible. It’s an amazing job to have and I’m very fortunate to have played for the length of time that I have.

“When I was offered an extension there was never a question mark about what I was going to do. We’ve been playing consistently good cricket for a long time now. We’ve won a trophy and we want to win more.

“I’ve got every confidence that Somerset can keep pushing for silverware this year and for future years to come.

“To be successful there has to be a good succession plan in place and the club are doing really well in that regard with the number of players that are coming through the Academy and making an impact on the first team.

“We’ve got exciting young players coming through who have already contributed to Somerset winning matches and that’s a great sign. The older boys are still desperate to contribute to wins as well and we’re always keen to help out the younger guys coming through.

“Last year was a really hard one for so many people, and we know how much coming to see the team play means to our members and supporters. When they are in the ground the atmosphere is second to none.

“Fingers crossed we can get people in this year to watch and there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel. We want to try and make 2021 the most brilliant year for everyone.”

Somerset Director of Cricket Andy Hurry added: “What can you say about James Hildreth that hasn’t already been said? He is phenomenal both on the field and off it.

“He is one of the most respected players in the domestic game because he has consistently delivered with the bat and in the field and his record speaks for itself.

“He loves this club, and his knowledge and experience of the game has benefitted the younger players in the squad. We are delighted that he has extended his time with the club.”