Will Smeed signs Somerset contract extension

The 20-year-old top-order batter has made a name for himself as a white-ball powerhouse since the start of last season's T20 Blast

Will Smeed has signed a one-year contract extension with Somerset which will keep him at Taunton until at least the end of the 2023 season.

The 20-year-old top-order batter, who came through the club’s academy and made his T20 debut in 2020, has enjoyed something of a breakout 12 months, scoring 780 white-ball runs since the start of the 2021 T20 Blast.

In that competition, he excelled at no.2, scoring a team-leading 385 runs at a strike rate of 132.30 either side of a six-match stint with Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred which yielded 166 runs at a strike rate of 172.91.

Currently plying his trade for Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League, Smeed has scored 229 runs in four appearances, including knocks of 97 and 99 against Peshawar Zalmi.

He is yet to appear for Somerset in either first-class or List A cricket. However, tying down his services beyond the 2022 season could prove crucial as the club continue to search for their first T20 crown since 2005. He was, after all, one of only three players alongside Marchant de Lange and Ben Green to feature in every match as Somerset reached the 2021 T20 Blast final.

^{Smeed batting for Quetta Gladiators against Peshawar Zalmi [Asif Hassan/AFP via Getty Images]}

"I’ve loved my first full season at Somerset, so it was a no brainer for me to extend when the opportunity arose. There’s a great atmosphere at the club and I feel as though we are all building towards something special," Smeed said.

"I have built some great relationships with the players and coaches and am looking forward to developing these further over at least the next two years."

Director of cricket, Andy Hurry, added: "It’s great news for everyone associated with the club that Will has signed this extension.

"Throughout his time on the pathway, our coaches have always been impressed by his ability and approach to the game, and its been great to see him progress to represent the first XI and go on to establish himself within the Vitality Blast team.

"He has gone on to undertake numerous global white-ball tournament experiences and I know he is really focused on making a name for himself across all formats of the game and has the ambition to make it to the very top.

"There is no doubt that he has the potential to have a long and prosperous career and we are really pleased that we will continue to have the opportunity to support those aspirations moving forward."