James Hildreth announces retirement from cricket

The Somerset batter will call time on his 20-year senior career when his contract expires at the end of the 2022 season

James Hildreth has confirmed he will retire from professional cricket at the end of the 2022 season.

The 37-year-old, out of contract at the end of the campaign, has spent his entire professional career at Somerset, playing more than 700 matches and scoring in excess of 27,000 runs across the formats.

Hildreth departs as the club's highest T20 run-scorer and third in the list for first-class runs, behind Harold Gimblett and Marcus Trescothick.

Of his 46 tons across the three forms of the game, Hildreth's best came against Warwickshire in 2009 thanks to an unbeaten 303. He helped the club lift the T20 Blast in 2005 and added the One-Day Cup in 2019.

^{Hildreth was part of two major trophy triumphs - the most recent coming in the 2019 One-Day Cup (Alex Davidson/Getty Images)}

However, Hildreth was unable to inspire a first LV= Insurance County Championship title win- despite his best efforts - or earn England recognition in spite of years of consistency at the top of the red-ball game.

In following Marcus Trescothick and Peter Trego, he becomes the latest doyen of Taunton to call time on their career in recent years.

"It feels like the right time to start a new chapter in my life and I’m excited about what the future holds," he said in his parting statement.

James Hildreth's batting career stats

First-class: Matches: 286; Runs 17,994; Average: 40.98; Highest score: 303*; Centuries: 47

List A: Matches: 223; Runs 6,100; Average: 35.46; Highest score: 159; Centuries: 8

T20: Matches: 206; Runs 3,906; Average: 24.56; Highest score: 107*; Centuries: 1

"I left school at 18 and have spent the last 20 years with the club. It’s been my life and I’ve loved every minute of it.

"The club and cricket as a whole has given myself and my family so much over the last 20 years, and I’ve got nothing but fondness and love for the club and that will continue for the rest of my life."

Currently playing for the club in the One-Day Cup, Hildreth's final curtain call will likely come in the County Championship game at Canterbury against Kent from September 26.

Never fully capped by England, he did get on the field during the 2005 Ashes and took a catch to dismiss Australia captain Ricky Ponting (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Somerset head coach Jason Kerr added: "James has had an outstanding career and I’m sure that we’ll see a deserving outpouring of best wishes and superlatives for him over the next few weeks.

"I’ve been incredibly fortunate to see him play some outstanding innings over the years and two that spring to mind are his hundred not out in a T20 against Glamorgan when were dead and buried, and a remarkable hundred that he got with a broken foot in the Championship.

"It’s been an absolute pleasure to work closely with him and to share his journey with the club."

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