AUSTRALIAN bowler Peter Siddle has left Somerset a month early due to injury.

He was contracted to the Club until the end of July, but the injury that he sustained to his hand has brought his stay at the Cooper Associates County Ground to premature conclusion.

Speaking on his time with the club, Siddle said it has been a joy but is sad to leave on such circumstance.

“I’ve loved my time here over the last couple of years,” he said.

“I love the Club and I love the boys in the dressing room. It’s a shame because that freak accident in the Hampshire game has caused a bit more damage than we had initially thought, and I’ve been advised not to play for a few weeks so I’m going to miss out on the remainder of my time here. It’s sad because the boys are going really well at the moment in both formats."

He added that he will miss being a part of everyday life at the club.

“I’ve really enjoyed being a part of the Club and I’m definitely going to miss it. I’ve probably played my last game for Somerset, but I’ll definitely be back as a supporter to say hi to everyone. I’ll be doing that for sure.”

Speaking on the region itself, he said the people and the area is great.

"I know it’s been cut short, but I love the Club and being around the place. I love the support that Somerset gets from the local community, and there’s not much better around the world than a Friday night T20 here in Taunton."

"It’s been great to be able to get out in the countryside here and go on a bit of a cruise on the bike."

And finally, he explained what is next in his plans.

"Before I came back to Somerset, I’d agreed to spend some time back home as a player and assistant coach with Victoria. My playing days are slowly dying down.

"I’ll move into doing a bit of coaching, but whether or not I want to do that in the long term, I don’t know. I want to spend a lot of time on my bike out on the road."

"I’ll stay around cricket to an extend because I love helping the next generation and seeing the young guys progress."