England captain Heather Knight has joined Somerset for the 2025 season.
The 33-year-old, who led England to victory in the 2017 World Cup, captained Western Storm and led them to two Super League titles.
She represented the team that covered Somerset and neighboring Gloucestershire from 2016 and will join Somerset following a revamp of domestic women's football. She was appointed in April as cricket advisor on the Somerset board.
Knight has played 143 One Day Internationals, 124 T20 Internationals and 12 Test matches for England, scoring more than 6,800 runs.
She has been captain of the England national team since 2016 and has also played abroad for Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sydney Thunder.
“Somerset is a club that is particularly close to my heart so I am incredibly excited about this opportunity,” said Knight, who started playing in Plymouth and came to Devon via the route.
“The Southwest has played an integral role in my journey and it is a privilege to represent the region that means so much to me.”
“We have a real opportunity to do something special.
“This is the first Somerset women’s team of the professional era and we have a duty to those who came before us and laid the foundation to ensure we are a team that is competitive on the field and encourages young people in inspired by the entire region.”
Somerset are one of eight counties awarded Tier 1 status by the ECB for 2025 as a replacement for the regions that took part in the Charlotte Edwards Cup and the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.
Knight joins the England all-rounders Charlie Dean And Danielle Gibson as confirmed new signings for next year.
Somerset head coach Trevor Griffin said: “Heather is a player I have worked with for many years and I am delighted that she will be playing for Somerset when her England commitments allow.”
“She is a true professional who influences games on and off the field and is an invaluable asset to any team.”
“I’m sure our fans will be looking forward to seeing Heather in the Somerset jersey and winning cricket matches for us.”
