Somerset young guns sign new deals

Somerset have strengthened batting, bowling and wicketkeeper departments by signing Tim Rouse, Ollie Sale and Tom Banton to new two-year contracts.

21-year-old Rouse has seen far more first-class action out of the trio featuring in eight matches since breaking into the first XI fold last year.

The Cardiff University scholar has since impressed with the bat for the second XI by averaging 41.00 across all formats and has also starred at Bath Cricket Club.

Where Rouse has been tipped to score in four-day cricket, Somerset have a bowling asset for the shorter format in fellow 21-year-old Ollie Sale.

Overcoming what was a serious back injury suffered shortly after making his county debut in the T20 Blast in 2016, the fast bowler has since taken 29 wickets for the second XI at an average of 24.07 to have academy coaches profer his name to the first-team staff.

Joining Rouse and Sale in penning a new deal is England Under-19 international wicketkeeper-batsman Tom Banton who has been praised for his consistency to score runs and his maturity behind the stumps. Praise which saw England’s Young Lions set-up want to take a look at the teen on tours to India and Dubai.

Having signed youthful first-team stars Craig and Jamie Overton to extensions last week, Somerset chief executive Lee Cooper expressed his delight at the county’s academy producing more and more potential.

“It is absolutely vital that we secure the services of the best young local talent and by signing these three players up we are doing exactly that.”