FAN favourite Roelof van der Merwe has signed a contract extension at Somerset County Cricket Club until the end of the 2023 season.

The popular all-rounder has agreed a one-year extension to his current deal and will be registered as a local player.

“I’m really pleased to have extended my time at Somerset. We have a great group of guys here and I genuinely feel that we are on the verge of something exceptional," Roelof said.

“The Club holds a very special place in my heart, and I will be doing everything that I can to make sure that we win games of cricket and claim the silverware that the players and our brilliant Members deserve.”

Roelof first came to the County in 2011 after signing a short-term contract and then returned in 2016 and since then has established himself as an important member of the First XI.

Somerset County Gazette: Somerset County Cricket Club's One-Day Cup celebration. Roelof van der Merwe signs autograph. Pic: Steve Richardson.

Featuring across all three formats of the game, the Netherlands International’s was a key part of Somerset’s Royal London Cup triumph in 2019.

He also broke the record for the highest score by a Somerset player in a 50-over match when he made a match-winning 165 not out against Surrey at the Cooper Associates County Ground in 2017.

SCCC Director of Cricket, Andy Hurry is pleased to have secured Roelof for an additional year.

“Roelof is a quality performer across the three formats of the game,” he said.

“His drive, determination and will to succeed are second to none and he is a genuine team man.

“His passion for the game is infectious and his contributions with the bat, the ball and in the field are of the highest standard."