Abell led Somerset to the One-Day title this year. © Getty

Somerset captain Tom Abell has put pen to paper on a new deal that'll keep him at the club at least until the end of the 2022 season. The 25-year-old's current deal was due to expire at the end of the 2021, but the club has been quick to reward their captain with an extension following a season that saw them win the One-Day Cup and coming very close to winning the County Championship as well.

Abell's contract extension comes close on the heels of another of Somerset regulars, Jack Leach, pledging his future to the club until the end of the 2022. "I'm absolutely over the moon to have signed this extension and I couldn't be happier. Ultimately, it's about winning and the reason I've signed is because I want to win things here," Abell said.

"It's no secret that this is my home club and I'm very passionate about Somerset cricket and I firmly believe that with the squad we have and the people behind the scenes we can continue to win things. Lifting the One-Day Cup this year was incredible but by no means have we finished there. Having won that competition, we were desperate to win the Championship. It didn't quite happen, but our sights are firmly set on going one better next year.

"The Club means absolutely everything to me. It's my life and I try to give absolutely everything that I can for Somerset Cricket, and it hurts when that's not quite enough and we don't come out on the right side of the result. To me, this place is my extended family. A lot gets made of the support that we get and rightly so. Having the support that we get is incredible."

Abell, a local boy, made his Somerset debut against Warwickshire in 2014, catching the eye immediately with a solid 95. He moved up the ranks swiftly and was named captain ahead of the 2017 season. Since his debut, he has played 73 first class matches for Somerset, scoring over 3800 runs. He also has 35 wickets at an average of 26.68. Abell is also the first Somerset captain to win the One-Day Cup since Graeme Smith in 2005.

"We can't speak highly enough of Tom. He is an extremely talented cricketer who is able to adapt his game across the three formats. This kind of versatility makes him the perfect player for the current era," Andy Hurry, club director of cricket said.

"He is an outstanding leader of men and, despite still being relatively young, he has a tremendous amount of experience already. He has the absolute respect of everyone at the Club and he perfectly epitomises what a professional sportsman should be. His passion for the game is infectious and that can be seen every time he sets foot in the ground. There is no doubt that he has been one of the key factors behind our recent success and his drive and enthusiasm will be vital as we look to the future."