Roelof van der Merwe released a year earlier from Somerset with the veteran wanting to spend time with family.
Roelof van der Merwe agrees early Somerset exit by mutual consent bringing a long association with the county to an end.
After changing his national allegiance from South Africa to the Netherlands, van der Merwe returned to Somerset as a local in 2016 after having played for the team as an abroad player in 2011. He was scheduled to return for white-ball cricket in 2025 after playing for the county 185 times in a variety of formats, but he ended his contract before the upcoming season.
In a club statement, he stated that he felt unwilling to commit to spending the summer in the UK and being separated from his South African-based family at the age of forty. Van der Merwe still plans to represent the Netherlands in international competition.
“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 played in Somerset’s victory over Hampshire in the 2019 Royal London Cup final and made ten appearances as they won the T20 Blast in 2023, giving him a member of two trophy-winning teams. He participated in 12 Blast games last year, including all three elimination matches as Somerset fell short against rival Gloucestershire in the championship match.
In a televised 50-over match against Surrey in 2017, he blasted 165 not out off 152 balls and came in at 22 for 5 in a chase of 291. It was his best performance in a Somerset shirt. A three-wicket victory in a rain-shortened Twenty20 match at Bristol in 2022 was also highlighted by a 15-ball 48 not out.
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.”