New deal for star hildreth

Former Millfield School cricketer James Hildreth signed a newthree-year deal with Somerset last week, keeping him at the CountyGround until at least 2014.

The new deal is a fine reward for the 26-year-old batsman whoscored 1,440 County Championship runs for the Cidermen last yearbefore being awarded the England Lions captaincy during their wintertour to the West Indies.

Although he has failed to hit the heights of last season inSomerset's mixed start to 2011, Hildreth remains a firm candidatefor selection for England's upcoming summer series with Sri Lankaand India.

"I'm very happy to commit myself to the club for another threeyears. I've always been very proud playing for Somerset, and lookforward to a good future," said Hildreth.

"The squad we have got here is impressive, in that currently wehave the capability of winning trophies, but also you can see fromthe young lads coming through that there is huge potential for thefuture, so both signs are bright.

"Growing up playing for Somerset, I want to win things and alwayshave done. The only trophy I have won so far at senior level was in2005, which is quite a while ago, so we're looking to start to winsome more trophies, beginning this year.

"My goal during the next three years is get a call up torepresent my country and every time I go to the nets that is in theback of my mind.

"Doing the job for the Lions in the winter was a good experiencefor me and taught me a lot about captaincy, which could beinvaluable in the future.

"The Somerset captaincy is an idea that has been banded aroundand something I might consider at some point in the future."

His performances at county level also earned him selection forEngland's performance squad that travelled to Australia at the sametime as the 2010-11 Ashes squad.

While Down Under, Hildreth scored an unbeaten double hundredagainst Queensland Academy and also linked up with the Ashes sidewhen nominated as 12th man on the fourth day of the Brisbane Test.

The former England under-19 international was also named in the30-man provisional World Cup squad before the final selection wasmade.

Somerset director of cricket Brian Rose heaped praise on theMilton Keynes-born star and the youth system currently implementedat the Country Ground.

"I think that this is a sign of the way that the club hasdeveloped over the last five years or six years into somewhere thatis attractive for professional cricketers to come and play," saidRose.

"The way that we have developed our Academy, with young playerslike Lewis Gregory and Jos Buttler coming into the side in the lastyear, is a wonderful sign.

"James has seen his own career develop here and he has seen theway that things have developed here, and I'm sure that it's anattractive place for cricketers to want to come and play."