Somerset hope Lewis Gregory continues to be the gift that keeps on giving

The multi-format allrounder has signed a new 12-month contract, prolonging his stay at Taunton until 2023

Somerset have secured the services of allrounder Lewis Gregory until at least 2023.

The 29-year-old already had a deal for next season but has now penned a fresh 12-month extension.

He becomes the latest key figure at Taunton to sign a new contract during the off-season, with Roelof van der Merwe, Josh Davey and captain Tom Abell all having committed themselves to the southwest club.

Gregory is a regular around the England white-ball team and has played three one-day internationals and nine T20Is.

Not selected for the T20 series in the West Indies starting later this month, Gregory's preparation for the new domestic campaign will start at the Pakistan Super League with Karachi Kings.

But nothing about his 10 seasons at Somerset suggests he is merely a white-ball specialist.

^{Gregory is back in the England white-ball fold (Stu Forster/Getty Images)}

Indeed, 2021 was his most fruitful first-class season yet as he scored 389 runs at 48.62 - topping the averages list as a result.

Though not a shadow on his returns from 2019 when he claimed 59 wickets amid another County Championship near-miss for Somerset, 21 wickets at 30.71 as a supplementary part of an attack including Craig Overton, Davey, Marchant de Lange and Jack Brooks is no mean feat.

Arguably, he's an even greater presence for the white-ball teams, scoring 2,191 runs and taking 190 wickets across both formats for the county he joined as a boy.

The key to Gregory isn't his numerical returns, but isolated contributions that few others could manage. Whether it be lung-busting spells, pinch-hitting at the death or key wickets there is nothing he can't, or more pertinently, won't do.

Normally, that would be enough to be a regular in England's white-ball teams but instead, he has to settle for a bit-part role under Eoin Morgan's stewardship.

After a start to his England career in New Zealand 2019 that he himself described as a "learning curve", Gregory proved they were not just empty words during a run in the side last summer, partly thanks to a Covid outbreak.

^{The pursuit of silverware for Somerset has been a case of so close, but yet so far (Sarah Ansell/Getty Images)}

He played all three ODIs against Pakistan and was the player of the match at Lord's. He finished the 3-0 series win with 97 runs and the wickets of Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf. That meant when the big-hitters returned for the T20 series he remained among them, taking the wicket of Rizwan - the format's highest-scoring batter in 2021 - again.

International commitments are the major blockade between Somerset having Gregory around to bolster their charge for silverware.

The 2019 One-Day Cup is the sole winners medal claimed by Gregory since he was promoted from the club's academy, with near-misses including defeat in last year's T20 Blast final, four runners-up finishes in the County Championship (2012, 2016, 2018 and 2019) and failure to capture the Bob Willis Trophy in 2020.

While his efforts haven't always delivered major silverware, the individual landmarks are racking up. In December 2020, while at the Big Bash with Brisbane Heat he collected a 500th career wicket - not that he knew it at the time. Only after a message from Jack Leach did he realise.

That very much sums up Gregory's outlook, a sportsperson not obsessed by numbers and stats but by developing his skills and thinking about improving every aspect of his game.

^{It was while at Brisbane Heat that Gregory collected is 500th career wicket (Chris Hyde/Getty Images)}

“I’ve been here for a long time and it’s a great club to play for," said Gregory. "I love everything about the club because it’s a very special place.

"I’m really pleased to have signed for an extra year and I think we’ve got a really strong squad that can genuinely challenge for honours over the next few years. That’s why we play the game. 

"We’ve got the best members and supporters in the country and to be able to play in front of them is extremely special."

Head coach Jason Kerr added: "We’re delighted that Lewis has extended his contract. He’s an extremely talented cricketer and he’s now demonstrated that on the international stage. He’s been doing that week in week out for us for a number of years now.

"He’s a three-dimensional cricketer in all formats of the game and he’s a brilliant leader. He brings a lot of attributes to the team, and he is the calibre of player that we are seeking to keep at the club for as long as possible."