SOMERSET County Cricket Club have announced that Jess Hazell has signed a two-year extension to her contract.

The 21-year-old, who recently achieved a First-Class Honours degree from the University of Exeter, has put pen to paper on a new deal which runs until at least the end of the 2028 season. Her initial contract was due to expire at the end of the summer,

After making her way through the County Age Group system, Jess made her Somerset debut in 2019 and was an ever-present for the county in the T20 competition just two years later. She was also a part of the Somerset squad that lifted a County T20 title under lights at the Cooper Associates County Ground in 2023.

Jess was selected onto the Western Storm Academy in 2021 and made her full debut for Storm in 2024 against South East Stars in the Rachel Heyhoe-Flint Trophy.

The wicket keeper/batter has become a regular for the club in both formats during the Tier 1 era, scoring more than 300 runs.

After signing her contract, Jess said: “I’m obviously thrilled to extend my contract with Somerset. The club’s entering a really exciting new chapter and I’m proud to be continuing that part of my journey.

“Personally, I want to continue pushing my game forward, contributing consistently to the team’s success and helping Somerset become one of the leading sides in the women’s game.

“Having finished my degree, I’m really excited to focus purely on cricket and I’m looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead.”

Head coach Erin Osborne said: “I’ve been really impressed by the progress that I’ve seen in Jess since I arrived. She has demonstrated that she has the necessary traits to succeed at this level and she has a genuine desire to improve every day at training.”