Essex have confirmed that club captain Tom Westley has signed a three-year contract extension until at least the end of the 2025 season.

The 33-year-old came through the Essex Academy and has made 376 appearances across all formats for the club, scoring 15,517 runs in the process.

Westley was named club captain in January 2020 and led the side to the Bob Willis Trophy in his first season, which was followed up with the LV= Insurance County Championship Division Two title last year.

And he had no hesitations in extending his contract, saying: “I’m thrilled to be staying at Chelmsford and I’m excited about what the next three years have in store.

“It was an easy decision for me to make. We have an extremely talented squad full of high-quality players and I feel we have a team that’s capable of competing for trophies across all three formats.

“It’s also a special club to play for. I’ve said it countless times, but I genuinely believe Essex have the best members and fans in the country.

“The support they show us week in week out is phenomenal and it’s a pleasure to play for them, and I hope that over the next three years, we can reward them more silverware.”

Essex head coach Anthony McGrath added: “Tom is not only a fantastic batter, but a great leader and the perfect role model for the players in our team.

“The skills and qualities he adds are integral to what we are trying to build and achieve at the club, so it’s terrific news for everyone that he’s staying for at least another three years.”