Lewis Gregory will lead Somerset in the County Championship this season after captaining them to the T20 Blast title in 2023. Gregory takes over as club captain from Tom Abell, who stepped down in November after seven seasons in the role.

Gregory has captained Somerset’s T20 side since 2018, though handed over to Abell in 2022. He led Trent Rockets to the Hundred title that year, and has captained a handful of games in first-class cricket, including one for England Lions against the touring Australians in 2019.

Abell said that he felt stepping down was “in the best interests of the team and the club” when he resigned the captaincy last year, following a quiet year with the bat in red-ball cricket. Somerset have never won the Championship and finished sixth in Division One last season.

Dean Elgar, who had spells with the club in 2013 and 2017, was linked with a return to Somerset as club captain in the South African media but has instead signed for Essex as a replacement for Alastair Cook. His deal was also confirmed on Friday.

“I’m lucky enough to have been here for a while now and played under a number of great captains,” Gregory said. “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.”

Andy Hurry, Somerset’s director of cricket, 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.”

Craig Overton, who will not play overseas this winter after an operation on his back, has been named vice-captain. “Like Lewis, Craig has a wealth of experience and is a genuine match-winner,” Hurry said. “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.”