Lewis Gregory named as new Somerset Cricket captain
The all-rounder is already skipper of the club's T20 team
Somerset Cricket, who finished seventh in Division One last season, have named Lewis Gregory as their new captain - taking over from Tom Abell.
The all-rounder is already skipper of the club's T20 team, with Craig Overton now confirmed as vice-captain for the four-day format.
The Plymothian all-rounder, played his club cricket for Plympton and progressed through the Devon Age Groups before representing the senior Devon side and then joining Somerset from the Academy in 2010.
That year, he made his first XI debut for the side - against Pakistan.
Since then, the club say he's become an 'integral element' of the squad - scoring more than 6,000 runs and taking more than 550 wickets.
In 2023, he led Somerset to Vitality Blast glory.
He said: “I’m lucky enough to have been here for a while now and played under a number of great captains.
“To be able to lead the boys in the four-day format is a massive honour and it’s something that I’m very proud to be able to do.
“Captaincy makes you feel more responsible for what goes on in the game and I think that the added responsibility brings out the best in me. We’ve got a lot of leaders in the dressing room and out on the field and it’s exciting to think about what this group can achieve.
“I want the lads to enjoy what they’re doing and we’re going to continue to play aggressive cricket. That will bring the best out in everyone and hopefully we’ll see the positive results of that come the end of the season.”
Taking over from Tom Abell, the new captain said: “Abes has done a fantastic job over the last few years.
“He will certainly still be one of our leaders and I have no doubt that I’ll be asking him for his advice. He’s a real team man and the things he’s done for this Club are amazing.”
Lewis has also been called up as the England Under 19 Captain, and played a role in the England ODI squad in 2015.
In 2019 he was named in the England Test squad for the match against Ireland before being offered a place on England’s IT20 tour of New Zealand that same year.
To-date, he's played in three ODIs and nine IT20s for his country.
Somerset Director of Cricket, Andy Hurrym said: “Lewis has thrived under the captaincy in T20 cricket. He is a natural leader and is held in the highest regard by his teammates and the staff at the Club.
“He is highly regarded across the whole changing room, has extensive experience, has a natural ability to gain the followership of others and is the natural choice to take on the prestigious role.
“As well as being a high-quality performer with the bat, with the ball and in the field, Lewis has proven that he is an astute tactician. He has an exceptional cricket brain and has proved that he can influence games with both his performances and his captaincy.
“The Club would also like to take this opportunity to announce that Craig Overton has been named as our Vice Captain. Like Lewis, Craig has a wealth of experience and is a genuine match winner. He has really developed his leadership attributes over recent years, has led the side on a number of occasions and plays a big part in shaping how we operate off the field.
“Lewis and Craig are talismans on the field, are outstanding ambassadors off it and we sense that they will form a dynamic partnership. Together, under their stewardship, we are best placed to build on the outstanding foundation that Tom Abell laid over the last seven years and will take the Club forward towards even more success both on and off the field.”