Tom Smith signs three-year extension with Gloucestershire

Bristol, Dec 11 Spinner Tom Smith has extended his stay at Gloucestershire county cricket club by signing a new three-year contract which will see him at Bristol until at least the end of the 2023 season.

Smith, who enjoyed a fantastic year in the T20 Blast, will be working towards a level four coaching badge over the next two years with an official coaching role at the club commencing in the third year of his contract.

"I'm delighted to commit my future to the club. It's somewhere that not only me but my girls really cherish. We have loved our time here and it's great that I am able to extend that," he said.

Smith was a key player in this season's T20 Blast, finishing with 14 wickets and a career best performance of 5/16 against Birmingham bears at Edgbaston. He also hit the winning runs against Somerset in a nail-biting South West derby.

Tom had the best economy rate (5.92) of all players who featured more than once in this year's T20 Blast, an incredible statistic showcasing his ability to affect the game in more ways than one. The spin bowling combination of Smith and van Buuren in the middle overs was a huge factor of the team's success on the way to a first Finals Day appearance since 2007.

Head coach Richard Dawson said: "Tom has been a consistent performer in white-ball cricket over a number of years now and he had an exceptional T20 tournament this year. We played well as a team and he was a huge part of the squad, so he fully deserved a contract extension."

"The next few years will be transitional for Tom but he has shown a keen interest in developing his coaching. He is still performing at a high level on the field so we hope first and foremost that this continues but we will support him on his coaching journey in any way we can," he added.

A Gloucestershire cricketer for eight seasons, Smith has been a vital player in a Gloucestershire team that has seen much success in recent years.

( With inputs from IANS )