Roelof van der Merwe to depart Somerset ahead of schedule

Roelof van der Merwe and Somerset have mutually agreed to part ways, allowing the South African all-rounder to exit his contract early. This decision marks the end of van der Merwe's longstanding connection with the county.

Van der Merwe first played for Somerset in 2011 as an overseas player, then returned as a local in 2016 after switching national allegiance from South Africa to the Netherlands. He has played for the county 185 times across formats and was due to return for white-ball cricket in 2025, but has terminated his deal ahead of the next season.

He said in a club statement that, at 40, he felt unable to commit to spending the summer in the UK and away from his family, who are based in South Africa. Van der Merwe still intends to play internationally for the Netherlands.

"With the English white-ball season now running from May until September, that's a long time to be away from my wife and children," van der Merwe said. "At this stage of my career, I feel that it's time to put my family first whilst still looking to pursue my international career. I spoke with the club, and they agreed to release me one year early and I'm grateful for that.

"There's a great group of players here and we had some great success together. Somerset will always have a special place in my heart, and I've loved every minute. The club, the members and supporters have been phenomenal. Somerset hasn't just been about cricket for me, it's been a real part of my life for nine years."

Van der Merwe was part of two trophy-winning squads at Somerset, playing in their win over Hampshire in the 2019 Royal London Cup final and making 10 appearances as they won the T20 Blast in 2023. Last year, he played 12 games in the Blast, including all three knockout games as Somerset lost to rivals Gloucestershire in the final.

His finest moment in a Somerset shirt came in 2017, when he walked in at 22 for 5 in a chase of 291 in a televised 50-over game against Surrey and thrashed 165 not out off 152 balls. Another highlight was a 15-ball 48 not out to rescue a three-wicket win in a rain-reduced T20 game at Bristol in 2022.

Andy Hurry, Somerset's director of cricket, said that the club "totally respect and understand" van der Merwe's decision. "To say that he has been a tremendous servant to the club would be something of an understatement," Hurry said. "To put it simply, he is the absolute personification of the model professional.

"During his time with Somerset, he has put in countless match-winning contributions with the bat, the ball and in the field. His work ethic has been exemplary from day one and he is a genuine role model as well as being an incredibly popular member of the dressing room.

"Roelof will rightly be remembered as one of our most important players of recent years and everyone associated with the club wishes him all the very best as he seeks to end his career positively with the Netherlands. He will forever receive a warm welcome at the Cooper Associates County Ground."