daryl mitchell says worcestershire now have an ideal blend of youth and experience after their successful recruitment campaign for the 2019 season.
opener mitchell has been the senior statesman of the squad in recent years as the county’s crop of up and coming talent has obtained the knowledge and know-how gained from playing games.
the 34-year-old will be joined next year by newcomer riki wessels from nottinghamshire and the returning callum ferguson – players in their early 30s – while wayne parnell is approaching 30.
but mitchell believes even some of the younger players like skipper joe leach and ben cox are now approaching their peak years and it all augurs well for the future at New Road.
he said: “i think we’ve got a really good mixture now of youth and experience.
“we’ve recruited well and we’ve got a few more guys now coming into those peak years of the 26-32 bracket – leachy, coxy etc.
“even the younger lads like ed barnard have played a lot of cricket. josh tongue has also played quite a lot of cricket now as a really young man.
“having that game time and playing in big games and on tv, quarter-finals, finals, actually accelerates that experience, accelerates that learning curve.
“they will gain a lot from this year and the big moments that we have had to play in.”
mitchell says players still developing can only benefit from playing alongside the likes of wessels, ferguson and parnell.
he said: “the strength of the senior players is mainly batters so guys like alex milton coming through the ranks can pick the brains and learn from and watching the senior batters going about their business.
“if you look at someone like steve magoffin this year, he was a massive influence with the young bowlers in the dressing room and in training.
“he was someone they could talk to, someone they could learn off, and richo (alan richardson) brings that experience in the coaching staff as well as does giddo (alex gidman).
“having these guys around, as youngsters they can only benefit from the qualities these experienced players have.
“but ultimately you’ve got to find your own way of doing things.”
