Worcestershire all-rounder George Rhodes has signed a new two year contract and become the EIGHTH player this summer to commit his future with the County.
Rhodes had 12 months remaining of his current deal but has put pen to paper on a deal until the end of the 2019 campaign.
Academy product Rhodes has followed in the footsteps of Brett D’Oliveira, Ed Barnard, Josh Tongue, Tom Fell, George Scrimshaw, Ollie Westbury and Alex Milton who all recently signed new contracts.
Rhodes, who will be 24 next month, made his debut last summer in the Royal London One-Day Cup against Yorkshire at Headingley and appearances also followed in 2016 in the NatWest T20 Blast and Specsavers County Championship.
He has cemented his place in the Championship side during the second half of this season, featuring in several century partnerships and making some vital contributions with the bat.
Last week Rhodes showed his versatility when moving up to the top of the order for the vital win over Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge and scoring 32 and 21 on a difficult pitch which in the context of a low-scoring game were priceless runs.
Rhodes said: “It’s a club I love playing for and I’m delighted to sign a new contract and hopefully we can be successful in the next couple of years.
“We’ve got a pretty good squad now that is tightly knit and committing their future to Worcestershire and I’m glad to be part of that.
“To have more experience of playing at first team level, you gain in confidence and your game does improve and you have to adapt to the level.
“I think I’m at the stage where I’d like to kick on and really cement myself in the team and win games and hopefully in the next couple of years I can do that.”
Assistant Coach Matt Mason said: “George is developing really nicely. With George, what we see in him is a massive fighter, a real gritty character, no stone unturned in his preparations and the way he goes about his business.
“George has got some good skills developing as an off spinner and bags of potential to become a terrific opening bat because he is so determined against that new ball.
“He showed at Trent Bridge how steely he can be and he is a fantastic team man, which is one of the most important things for us, so we are all pleased he has signed for another couple of years.”
Mason added: “He can play up and down the order and that is testament to his willingness to do what he needs to do for the team.
“If you ask him to do stuff at the top of the order, middle order, bowl at difficult times, he will do it. Sometimes he doesn’t get a bowl, which can be frustrating for young cricketers, but he doesn’t whine or moan.
“He just keeps developing and keep working hard and that is all you can ask for.”
