PROMISING youngster George Bartlett has become the latest player to commit his future to Somerset County Cricket Club.

The 21-year-old has extended his contract at the Cooper Associates County Ground until at least the end of the 2022 season.

George graduated from the Somerset Academy in 2016 and signed his first professional contract with the Club ahead of the 2017 season.

The right-handed batter, who made his Somerset debut in the Specsavers County Championship match at Warwickshire in 2017, was Somerset’s second leading run scorer in red-ball cricket this season, amassing 718 Championship runs at an average of 31.22.

He also scored a career-best 137 against Surrey at Guildford in June.

George was also a key element of Somerset’s Royal London One-Day Cup success. He scored over 200 runs in the competition and his partnership of over 40 with James Hildreth saw the Club reach the required victory target in the Final against Hampshire at Lord’s.

Furthermore, George has an impressive record for England’s Young Lions. In 2017 he amassed 179 for the Under 19s against India. That total is the highest ever overseas score made by an England Under 19 batsman, eclipsing the previous record of 170 which was set by Nasser Hussain in 1987.

After signing his new extension, George said: “Playing for Somerset means everything. To play for the Club that you watched and have grown up at means so much.

“You seek to improve every season, and to be rewarded with an extension is great. I’m really looking forward to the next three seasons with this squad because the Club is in a really exciting place at the moment. There are a lot of young players committing themselves to Somerset which is great and hopefully we can win more silverware for many years to come with that young talent.

“I just want to have success at this Club and for this Club to be successful.”

Somerset director of cricket, Andy Hurry, said: “We are really happy that George will be with us until at least the end of 2022 because he has the potential to impact games across all formats.

“His record at youth level for England was outstanding and he has shown for Somerset that he has the ability to develop into a real quality batsman.

"His innings against Surrey this year was exceptional, as was his hundred against Lancashire in 2018 when he nullified the threat of Jimmy Anderson superbly.

"We look forward to helping George fulfill his potential and move closer to winning International recognition over the next few years."