Somerset County Cricket Club has surpassed the £10 million revenue mark for the first time in its history, according to its recently published annual accounts for the year ending December 31, 2025. The club posted total income of £12.4 million and a post-tax surplus of £2 million, marking a transformational year both on and off the pitch.
Income surged by £4.6 million compared to the previous year, buoyed by Somerset clinching the Vitality T20 Blast title for the second time in three seasons, as well as increased funding from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for launching the Somerset Professional Women’s team.
A significant financial boost came from the ECB’s sale of eight franchise teams in The Hundred tournament. Somerset has been allocated £18.52 million from these initial franchise sales, with a further £5.5 million anticipated in future payments. While the majority of this sum is securely invested in a JP Morgan portfolio overseen by the ECB, Somerset drew down an initial £1.39 million “member distribution” in 2025.
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The club promptly used this windfall to eliminate its bank debt with Barclays. Loan repayments totaled £1.18 million during the year, reducing overall debt to a manageable £0.6 million, primarily a retained loan from Somerset Council. Financial regulations stipulate that funds from The Hundred must be allocated towards debt reduction, reserves, and revenue-generating or protective projects, with clubs encouraged to operate independently from investment returns.
On the field, Somerset enjoyed further success, securing the T20 Blast trophy again, advancing to the semi-finals of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup, and finishing third for the second consecutive year in the County Championship. The newly formed professional women’s team showed strong promise, narrowly missing out on the 50-over finals.
However, maintaining competitiveness has led to rising costs. Total expenditure increased by £2.5 million, approaching £10 million. The largest rise came in player wages and salaries, which climbed from £3.71 million to £4.92 million due to an expanded workforce of 171 employees — up from 131 — and escalating salary demands to retain top talent.
The club acknowledged the ongoing challenge of managing professional cricket costs amid growing financial investment in the sport. Club executives emphasized the priority of balancing squad quality with financial sustainability.
Infrastructure improvements also featured prominently in 2025. Supported by an ECB grant, Somerset invested approximately £500,000 to completely renovate its Indoor Cricket Centre at the Cooper Associates County Ground. Upgrades included new flooring, nets, and lighting to enhance training conditions for professionals and local players alike.
While the ground currently does not host Men’s Test Matches or The Hundred fixtures, Somerset remains reliant on central ECB funding, which accounts for 56% of total income. To reduce this dependency, the club plans to leverage the period of guaranteed revenue to transform the Taunton venue, increasing non-cricket revenue streams such as conferencing, events, and catering. Expanding financial returns from ground hospitality is a key focus for 2026 following flat catering revenues in 2025.
Despite challenges facing domestic cricket, Somerset’s balance sheet is among the strongest in its history, boasting net assets of £12.6 million, up from £10.6 million, and a cash balance of £1.9 million.
Chief Executive Jamie Cox expressed optimism, stating, “The capital from The Hundred represents a generational opportunity for county clubs. For Somerset, securing a future at the pinnacle of cricket means modernizing our facilities and retaining our best young players.”